Synopsis
A new mother and father faithfully follow the instructions they get for taking care of their new baby, but they get carried away when they try to rock the baby to sleep.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-03-01 | | Illustrator: | John Amoss | | Edition Description: | Illustrated |
| Size | | Length: | 32 pages | | Height: | 7.8 in | | Width: | 9.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.2 in | | Weight: | 9.6 oz |
Publisher's Note
A new mother and father faithfully follow the instructions they get for taking care of their new baby, but they get carried away when they try to rock the baby to sleep.
Industry Reviews
Stories of addled parents often tickle children (after all, who doesn't get satisfaction from seeing the boss screw up every once in a while?), and Fleming's (Under the Backyard Sky) and Amoss's (Good City, Bad City) offering is a blithe variation on the theme. A Kewpie-doll-like infant arrives at a couple's house with its own manual, which explains, among other things, "how to change a diaper, make a bottle, feed the baby, and then... pat, pat, pat the baby's back until Baby b-u-r-r-r-p-e-d bubbles." But the new parents are clueless when it comes to the final direction, "Now rock the baby to sleep." Their ludicrous attempts to follow instructions include driving the baby around the block ("Cars rock," reasons the father), finding a swing, "sailing" out to sea (the pictures, oddly, show a rowboat), etc. Fortunately, parental instincts finally kick in, and Baby falls fast asleep in a rocking chair, cradled in Mommy's arms. Amoss's cartoony illustrations have an airbrushed quality that gives many compositions a poster-like clarity and intensity. Readers may wish Fleming's text rhymed more consistently; still, she strikes an effective balance between gentle rhythm and sheer silliness. Ages 2-5. (Mar.)
Lopate
PreS-K This airy picture book portrays the adventures of two new parents who try to follow the instruction book that comes with their infant. All's well until it's time to rock the baby to sleep, when one effort after another fails. They attempt to rock the child in a car, on a swing, and on a boat. Finally, the book is shelved and the mother does the job the old-fashioned way on her lap. Full-color, water-based, cartoon-style illustrations in nighttime hues are effectively lit with a variety of yellow light sources, and page layout works well. Neither the text nor the illustrations are remarkable. A heavy dose of fantasy adds confusion as it reveals the newborn riding his father's shoulders, peering over the back of a boat into the water, and swinging gleefully skyward. Cheery fish and the washboard band of crickets add to the mood. Most young children won't object to the logical lapses in newborn behavior, though, and the ending is satisfying. Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Lopate
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