Bah! Said the Baby

PreS—Getting one's point across can be challenging for anybody, but it's especially tough for the wee protagonist of this short but endearing book. When Baby shouts, "Bah!" Mom and two older siblings rush over and attempt to guess what the infant wants. Their offers of bottles, books, and blocks are met with increasing puzzlement and frustration from the tot. After many attempts, Mom finally figures out that "Bah!" means "Bye!" and Baby rejoices at being understood. Simple colorful backgrounds accentuate Plecas's bright and playful illustrations; her cartoon style is humorous and expressive. Baby's exclamations and the resigned "Oh well…Guess not!" refrain from family members appear in speech bubbles. The simple text with repeated words and clear drawings makes this title suitable for beginning readers. Parents and children with younger siblings are sure to relate to the pitfalls and joys of communicating with pre-verbal babies.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY