Busy Babies

Baby-Toddler–In rhyming text, Schwartz presents a plethora of babies and the activities that keep them busy all day. From "Visiting ducks/Playing trucks" and "Clapping chubby hands/Banging pots and pans" to "Blowing bubbles/Making trouble," the cartoon-style babies are depicted in many shades of skin colors and hair variations. Whether accompanied by an adult or alone, busy babies have much to do. In fact, there are so many everyday activities portrayed that readers are bound to identify with at least a few. The deceptively simple pictures rendered in pen and ink and colored in gouache, range from multiple small vignettes on a page to full-page illustrations, all against a white background. Some babies are "With their mamas/In pajamas;" others are "Into something/Wearing nothing." Yet others are "Saying 'Hi!'/Waving 'Bye!'" They are even "Riding busses/Making fusses." But always the illustrations are upbeat and the palette cheery, making these very mundane activities feel unique indeed.