I Used to Be the Baby

Robin Ballard, was born in Los Angeles and attended the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City. After several years in Washington, D.C., she now lives with her husband and sons in Switzerland. Ms. Ballard has written many popular books, including When We Get Home, When I Am a Sister, and Good-bye, House.

PreSchool-This book presents a day of family activity, with the focus on the relationship between a boy and his baby brother. For each event, there is the downside as well as the gracious solution. "He doesn't like riding in the car. I will sing him a song. He is sad in the stroller. I will hold his hand. -He doesn't like baths. So I blow bubbles for him to watch." Some of the problems are due to baby's own fears; others are a result of his sibling's behavior. When the text reads, "Sand can hurt your eyes," the accompanying illustration shows the boy throwing sand over his shoulder, right onto baby's head. While an oblong boxed vignette shows the unhappy interaction between siblings and the mother's woeful patience, a full-page-and-a-quarter illustration shows the family working as a team. A thin black line outlines each detailed scene and the round, open-faced characters, while smooth expanses of watercolor richly fill the pages. There is a feeling of serenity to the art, even when the little one is distraught. There's none of the inevitable frustration or anger that an older sibling might feel, and the book could be criticized for the ease with which the brother becomes so helpful. Yet, in accentuating the positive, this title does present many feel-good ideas. Certainly there's no harm in basking in its intentional idealism.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.