Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis-Lee, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Director and producer Spike Lee, with his wife Tonya Lewis Lee, team up with award-winning artist Kadir Nelson in this playful glimpse at one day in the life of a rambunctious toddler.

Through scenes that show an angelic, ringlet-haired baby being mischievous at different times of the day, an exhausted parental voice pleads with the tyke to stay out of trouble. When the clock hits 3:00 a.m. and the text calls, "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please," the frolicsome toddler is sitting on her sleeping mom's tummy, ready to play. At 7:45 a.m., "Not on your HEAD, baby baby baby, please!" shows her (of course) dumping a bowl full of cereal over herself, and later, at 12:30 p.m., the tot is shoveling sand into her mouth as the voice entreats, "Don't eat the sand, baby baby baby please." These shenanigans go on throughout the day, but at 10:00 p.m., a tired baby is done with trouble when she asks gently for a kiss goodnight, "Mama, Mama, Mama, please."

The Lees and Nelson have put together a right-on picture book that speaks to parents but will also have children laughing. The rhyming text changes and flows like a smooth melody, wonderfully complementing Nelson's oil illustrations, which give us snapshots of the antics from various angles. The girl herself will have readers cooing over her sweetness and groaning over the trouble she causes, and they'll feel assured that all is well at the end with Mom's tender kiss. A winsome read that's perfect for reading aloud and sharing. Matt Warner

From the Publisher

Go back to bed,

baby, please, baby, please.

Not on your HEAD,

baby baby baby, please!...

From moments fussy to fond, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, present a behind-the-scenes look at the chills, spills, and unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby!

Vivid illustrations from celebrated artist Kadir Nelson evoke toddlerhood from sandbox to high chair to crib, and families everywhere will delight in sharing these exuberant moments again and again.

Publishers Weekly

"Many grownups will recognize the title as the comic carnal plea uttered by Lee in his film, She's Gotta Have It. Now, Lee and his wife/co-author have turned those words into a G-rated parental entreaty-directed at an inexhaustible toddler," wrote PW. Ages 2-5. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

Illustrations rendered in oil enhance this fast paced, fun-filled book for toddlers. With soft, yet vivid colors and realistic baby expressions, the illustrator increases the already lively text. Repeating rhyming patterns contain just enough variation to entertain the child listener as a grownup reads this book. Fun baby antics include dumping cereal on ones head, writing on the walls, not wanting to share, eating forbidden sand, throwing a fit, and the joy of discovering a ready-for-the-wind dandelion. These realistic everyday happenings are ones with which a toddler can relate. Parents will enjoy the clock preceding each simple piece of text since it depicts the progression of a day with baby. The large print text and size of the book are also a plus. The husband and wife authors have collaborated to offer a book that cries to be read again and again to a toddler. Add this board book to any preschool shelf or to your home library in a house with young children. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury

School Library Journal

PreS-K-At 3:01 a.m., an exhausted parent begs a riled-up youngster to "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." At a quarter to eight, the plea is for the child not to dump cereal on her head. Throughout the day, the toddler is asked to share a ball, eat some peas, and sleep tight. Baby is asked to not eat sand, be a tease, or splash. After being put to bed at 8:00 p.m., she comes into her parents' bedroom two hours later and asks, "Kiss me good night? Mama, Mama, Mama, please." The litany of pleas will strike a chord with parents and caregivers, and will amuse children with its repetition and rhyme. Bright, full-bleed illustrations evoke the child-centered mayhem of this frazzled yet loving family. Baby, with her caramel-colored skin and corkscrew curls, sometimes appears unnaturally proportioned, her head too large and her limbs contorted, but the overall effect is humorous and action-packed.-Anna DeWind Walls, Milwaukee Public Library Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Parents and caregivers will recognize the ritualistic pleading that takes place when spending the day with a toddler. Sounding like a broken record, a mother pleads with her daughter to share her toys, eat a balanced meal, and finally go to sleep. As she plays on her mother's tummy, up way past her bedtime (the clock radio shows 3:01 a.m.) her mother pleads, "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." When she dumps the contents of her breakfast, "Not on your HEAD, baby baby baby, please!" Each page features an impish grin and impossibly beautiful eyes peeking out from under a tangle of perky curls, but the angelic expression does not change the fact that this little one is all devil. A tiny clock records the time of day at the beginning of the line of text on each double-paged spread, but it's the rambunctious tot who captures all of the focus. Vivid illustrations of this African-American family full of love and patience for their strong-willed daughter will evoke laughter as the parents attempt, with mixed results, to guide their charmer's behavior. Sure enough, the closing line turns the tables as the little girl asks for a kiss, ". . . Mama, Mama, Mama, please." Richly colored and meticulously detailed paintings highlight the tiny, but determined imp with curls that literally spring from her head. The repetitive text, sunny illustrations, and entirely familiar scenarios will make this a favorite of parents and children alike. (Picture book. 1-4)

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