Here Is the Baby

Readers follow a baby's full day in a city neighborhood from wake-up ("Here is the baby. And a bright morning sun") to bedtime, complete with a library outing ("Here is the lady. She reads to the children"), stroller nap, and playground time, all supervised by a low-key dad. The text's "here is" pattern is reassuring and concrete. The mixed-media illustrations are steeped in cozy imagery.

Kanevsky and Yoo take readers through a baby's day in a city neighborhood, from wakeup ("Here is the baby. And a bright morning sun") to bedtime ("Here is the baby. Shhh, Baby, shhh"). And a full day it is, complete with a library outing ("Here is the lady. She reads to the children"), a stroller-nap ("Now here is that baby, wrapped tight in his blanket"), and playground time, all supervised by a capable, low-key dad. The "here is" pattern in Kanevsky's text is reassuring, accessible, and concrete; even small children will be able to recognize and point out items in the pictures ("Here are Sister and Baby, with a blue china tea set"). Yoo's illustrations -- linoleum block prints, pencil drawings, and Photoshop -- are steeped in soft, cozy imagery. It appears to be late fall, and you can practically feel the nip in the air. The outing ends with Mom and Sister welcoming Dad and Baby home. Then there's dinner and a comforting bedtime routine (warm bath, cozy jammies), capped off by a cuddle with Mom and a sleepy-baby yawn. Although the exhaustive list of daily activities is more adult-centric than child- (babies don't care when or where they're fussy, for example; and what kid drifts off that peacefully?), it's the best kind of parent-trap book -- one that validates Baby's own experience, not just that of the grownups. elissa gershowitz