When I Was Born

PreS-Gr 2—A boy describes the many things that were new to him when he was born: "I had never seen the sun or a flower or a face." He lists sensory experiences and natural wonders, and concludes that there will always be new things to discover, "and that is the most wonderful thing of all!" This quietly philosophical book is unlikely to hold the attention of young children, and those who are older will find the illustrative style too "babyish." Adults are most likely to appreciate the message about everyday miracles, but even for them the book will not be especially compelling. The blocky, stylized illustrations with their limited palette only partially reinforce the text: the spread that mentions forests, mountains, and beaches only shows the forest; the one about animals with feathers, scales, or hair does not show a scaly example. At one point, the young narrator declares, "My hat is yellow." However, the child is not wearing a hat; an adult passerby is wearing a yellow hat. At odds with the solemn wonderment of the text is an illustration that includes a giraffe defecating with a loud "THUMP" as an example of "how loud it can be when something falls." An odd little book that may have lost something in translation.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL