From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K–The young elephant introduced in Bernard's Bath (Turtleback, 2000), Bernard's Nap, and Bernard Goes to School (both Boyds Mills, 2003) now declares his desire for a sibling: not a "spit-up kind of baby," not a "sister kind of baby," and not "a crying baby" either. Instead he gets triplets, including two girls, and they all cry–and spit up, too. After expressions of "That's not what I wanted" and "Take her back," Bernard is assured that Papa will always have time for him and that there will always be room on Mama's lap. Catalano's art, done in pastels, is a huge success in the universality of its characterization and its accessibility to young children. His drawings show pleasant-faced elephants, plump and cozy, in agreeable fantasy colors that are as warm as the story. Their expressive eyes command readers' focus and shape their reactions. Pages are filled but not crowded, thanks to inventive layouts, with large, roundish, soft-looking forms. This book makes an interesting match with Kate Laing's Best Kind of Baby (Dial, 2003) in which a toddler's hopes collide with reality from a different angle.–Liza Graybill, Worcester Public Library, MA
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
