“The Baby-Changing Station” by Rhett Miller and Dan Santat

admin August 5, 2022

0 4 minutes read

I recently asked my sister about my birth. She was 4 years old and her younger brother was 2 years old. She said her mom bought her a present and she said it was from me as a newborn. “What was the present?” I asked her. “Milk bottle, Abbie!” she yelled into her phone as if this was self-evident. I gasped. “Milk bottle?” There is no other toy in our universe with such versatility and longevity. She’s convinced I entered her life like a “good housewife” with six plastic Fisher-Price bottles with multicolored tops in a yellow carrying case. explained. “But when did you ask?” I asked her. “I never did,” she said plainly. How wonderful that so many of us are lucky enough to be able to step on the right foot and start our longest relationships.

Told by older siblings adjusting to the arrival of a new baby, all four new books have the potential to be as positive to young readers as the milk bottle was to my sister and brother.

Hiroshi Ito’s older sister Narrator free kids to good home It’s no joke how funny she is. First published in Japan in 1995, this early reader’s treasure is now finally available in English, translated by Kathy Hirano.Its front page reads, “Just recently, my brother showed up. It contains one line of his that says, It doesn’t take long for this attention-hungry girl who rebelled against her newborn baby’s “potato face” to earn your full loyalty. She’s giddy just thinking of her face covering her nose with a diaper change. To ensure a better living environment, pack your things and move to a cardboard box on the sidewalk.

Ito uses words and pictures with equal skill to craft this hilarious and purposeful little visionary. Only the main points are illustrated with black and red line drawings, leaving margins on the page for children to reflect. I don’t think I’m the only one who is jealous of my brother. It will be a great start. or even better, If you can laugh at this child, you might be able to laugh at yourself someday.

THE BEST BUMPFIZZLE ON EARTH, a book of chapters by Irish author Patricia Ford confirms that you don’t have to leave the house to escape. Your imagination can set you free. Meet Bumpfizzle the Best, a famous alien warrior from the planet Pronk who was sent to Earth on a secret mission and took the form of a 10-year-old boy named Daniel. prize. (If you’re reading this book aloud, it’s a good idea to start with the alien’s best voice, then tone it down as the narrator’s credibility is questioned.)

Through diary entries and official reports to his home planet, Bumpfizzle subtly supports his ruse. He documents a complete confusion about the customs and rituals of the Earthling “host families.” Inadvertently, we get an intimate view of their lives.Forde’s ingenious wordmaking and her instinct for silly will baffle children.

Elina Braslina, an accomplished Latvian illustrator, does bold black pencil drawings of scenarios involving a “kill or be killed” situation with a cow, an accidental bite on a teacher’s arm, and an alien invasion in the form of a kitten. brings Forde’s rambunctious storytelling to life. Forde knows exactly what young earthlings love.

Another kind of triumph of the imagination is baby changing station, Written by musician and author Rhett Miller (best known as the lead singer of the band Old 97’s) and illustrated by Caldecott medalist Dan Santatt. This rhyming picture book begins with a typical premise. Ten-year-old James, frustrated by his parents’ reverence for his little brother’s poop and drool, dreams of handing him over to the postman.

The magic begins with dinner at the family’s favorite pizza restaurant. James’ parents asked him to change the baby’s diaper for the first time. There is nothing Santatte can’t do, but as soon as the supernatural gets involved, his work becomes emotional. ), Santat skillfully sets the stage for the rest of the book to take place in a public restroom. A screen above the changing table displays ads saying “Please drop off your baby” and “Soon your crybaby will turn into something cool.” A long moment of truth unfolds in several exhilarating stretches. Miller and Santat deliver a very fun, original and well-structured story with a sweet and climactic ending.

If your child is mourning one baby, My life begins! — about his newborn triplets brother — could help put things in perspective. This slim middle-school novel written by the late Patricia McLachlan and illustrated by Danielle Miyares will probably serve your purpose even better. But when he sees how exhausted his parents are (he finds his father quietly leaning against the counter alone in the pantry), what he calls “travel crumbs” Gradually warms up to help care.

Throughout her long career, MacLachlan, who won the Newbery Award for “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” has zoomed into family life. Her one of her last works, therefore, is undoubtedly a delightful observation of the development of the soon-to-be-adolescent human being.

Jacob tackles triplets with scientific curiosity when he decides to study them for a school project. He notices patterns that are early signs of individuality. He recognizes the foundations that precede milestones. A few weeks before one of her babies said “boo” (meaning “bird”), Jacob said she glanced out the window after she saw a picture of a bird in her book. I realized that McLachlan has captured his older brother’s intuition with great accuracy. She makes me think this is how my sister sometimes knows what I’m going to say before I do.

Abby Hanlon is the author and illustrator of the Dory Fantasmagory series and illustrator of the picture book Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How To Rhyme by Avery Monsen.