Customer Reviews

So Much!

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My son loves this story! He is 14 months old, and we checked this out from the library 3 weeks ago. He has wanted us to read it to him every night before he goes to bed. It's perfect at bedtime, because it ends with the baby going to sleep after the most wonderful day you can imagine. Though it's Daddy's birthday party that's brought everyone to the house, baby is the one that everyone wants to kiss and hug.

Helen Oxenbury's illustrations are incredible, the way the people seem to have real weight and personality. I especially love the baby, and there's one drawing of him holding his teddy bear, wrapped in his blanket, with his thumb in his mouth, which is EXACTLY the way my son looks when he's tired and sleepy, getting ready for bed. Of course, my son's Asian/Jewish, not African American, but this book is truly universal.

My two year old absolutely loves this book! It was the first book he received 2 years ago and he really enjoys all the characters, especially Nannie, Gran Gran and Big Cousin Ross. I do change the language a little bit so that it's gramatically correct, but once I got over that obstacle, I really love it too. And we do read it every night. As a matter of fact, I had to order another copy because the first one got torn up by my son's little hands. Excellent addition to any library.

I have a habit of browsing bookstores in every place I visit and selecting a book each for my daughter (age 5) and son (age 1). I picked this book up in CA and loved it immediately! I knew it would be a hit with both the kids and it was. My son completely identifies with the "baby" and loves to point to him on every page. At the end of the story we all hug, kiss, and try to eat him! I am sending copies to my best friends. It's always great to see a lovable African-American tale.

We have this book at our local child care centre. I love the rhythm of the language and I love the illustrations and my little boy does too. What I don't like is the "pow-pow", "I want to fight the baby" part. It's not an idea that I want to encourage at all - some good natured wrestling can be fun, of course, but it needs a lot of explanation. All of the carers naturally substitute other words to illustrate the story; usually I say that the boys want to tickle the baby. Parents and carers who want to promote a less violent world should be aware of this.

This book has been a family favorite for over 11 years. I first purchased this book for my son when he was 1 and am now reading it to my 2 year old daughter. My son still recalls the story, beautiful pictures but most of all family members and myself reading it to him time and time again. My daughter is now experiencing the same warm expressions of "family love" and beautiful pictures of an African American family celebrating a birthday but most of all being together. This book has become my daughter's favorite and she picks it up at least 4-5 times a day to be read. I've bought another copy just so she can have her own. My son has told me he wants to be keep his copy of the book so that he will be able to read this wonderful book to his own children.

This is a book that my kids loved. I say "loved" because they were about 5 to 7 yrs old. They enjoyed hearing about the surprise party at the end and the relationship between the family members who loved the baby! It was just as fun to read as it was for them to hear it.

We have been reading this book to my 10 month old since he was 6 months old! Now you can't say "They weren't doing anything..." without him running around to look for it. He loves the "ding-dong," the rhythm of the language, its slight dialect diction, and all of the joyous play in the story. We look forward to reading it for a long time.

My kids are 2 and 3. They love this book. We've read it so often, they already know what's going to happen before I turn the page.

This is one book that we don't mind reading over and over again. My two year old can't get enough of this family tale. With our large family, it was easy for him to relate to the various extended family members brought to life in this story. The authors unique rhythmic writing is a delight to read. I'm going to purchase another from T. Cooke, this book helps make bedtime a little easier.

Helen Oxenbury's illustrations make this book so appealing to toddlers and parents alike. The bright colors and playful style really draw you in. The author's use of repetition is also great, which my daughter enjoys. This is a long book and she can easily sit in my lap and focus on the entire story, allowing me to finish reading before she turns the pages. I agree with the other reviewer - the cousin fighting with the baby is kind of a negative aspect of the book, but often I will substitute other words on those pages. This is a must-have addition to any multicultural book collection!