This Baby

PreS-Gr 2—From spring through winter, a girl wonders about the new baby that her mother is carrying. Time passes slowly and then seems to speed up as the due date comes closer. The child has many questions: "Will this baby like to play?...like the cat?" Will it be a boy or a girl, and will the siblings like each other? There are no definitive answers but all of the inquiries should prompt discussion. The charming, lyrical text reads like a lullaby while the mother knits and sews baby clothes, and includes a slight change in each refrain: "Knit, Mama, knit/to and fro./The birds are piping./Soon we'll know." The girl imagines the miracle of life in a sweet and endearing way. For example, one spread features a baby swathed in a green, leaflike cocoon with its face peeking out, and another shows the infant within a sphere representing the womb. The whimsical paintings are all saturated with color. This title provides a visual opportunity for light explanations and conversations about what occurs during those precious nine months without getting too specific or scientific.—Anne Beier, Clifton Public Library, NJ