The Barnes & Noble Review
There was one little baby, who was born far away.
And another who was born on the very next day.
And both of these babies, as everyone knows,
had ten little fingers and ten little toes.
Two internationally acclaimed figures -- Australian writer Mem Fox and British illustrator Helen Oxenbury -- have collaborated on a book that is sure to become an instant classic. The topic appears so obvious, one would think that it had been done before many times over -- but no. When reading it aloud again and again, as books for the little ones must be, not only does one not get tired of the words but also finds joy anew. Like a great rock song, the rhymes become embedded in the brain, and one finds oneself reciting them at odd moments -- perhaps standing in a grocery line entertaining a baby strapped to a cart, “and this little baby as every one knows…" Oxenbury has created a diverse cast of sweet, round-faced, pudgy-limbed toddlers from around the world who populate the oversize white pages as Fox’s rhyming words flow effortlessly. A master watercolorist, Oxenbury plays with light and dark, composition and line, down to the finer details of a stickily snotty baby who suffers from “sneezes and chills” -- and doesn't slight the texture of his velvety soft green blankie. The story could go on forever as we would never run out of babies with fingers and toes, however Fox cleverly finishes with one little baby -- held this time by a doting stand-in for every mother -- who (as everyone knows) has ten little fingers and ten little toes, “and three little kisses on the end of its nose.”
--
Lisa Von DrasekFrom the Publisher
As everyone knows, nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes. . . . And here, from two of the most gifted picture-book creators of our time, is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes, and the joy they—and the babies they belong to—bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world!
This is a gorgeously simple picture book for very young children, and once you finish the rhythmic, rhyming text, all you’ll want to do is go back to the beginning . . . and read it again! The luminous watercolor illustrations of these roly-poly little ones from a variety of backgrounds are adorable, quirky, and true to life, right down to the wrinkles, dimples, and pudges in their completely squishable arms, legs, and tummies.
The Washington Post -
Kristi Jemtegaard
English author/illustrator Helen Oxenbury, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, teamed up with celebrated Australian illustrator/author Mem Fox for this around-the-world look at babyhood, to be published next month. The happy result is a jig-along rhyme sure to delight parents and tots alike.
Publishers Weekly
Put two titans of kids' books together for the first time, and what do you get (besides the urge to shout, "What took you so long?")? The answer: an instant classic. Fox's (Time for Bed) text works off the simplest premise: babies around the world, even those who seem like polar opposites, have the same 20 digits in common. But there's real magic at work here. Given their perfect cadences, the rhymes feel as if they always existed in our collective consciousness and were simply waiting to be written down: "There was one little baby who was born far away./ And another who was born on the very next day./ And both of these babies, as everyone knows/ had ten little fingers and ten little toes." Oxenbury (We're Going on a Bear Hunt) once again makes multiculturalism feel utterly natural and chummy. As her global brood of toddlers grows-she introduces two cast members with every new stanza-readers can savor each addition both as beguiling individualist and giggly, bouncy co-conspirator. Ages 3-5. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Children's Literature
This darling picture book is sure to be a winner. The rhyming words and outstanding illustrations will please young children and adults reading the story. The illustrations on the front and back cover are also the same on the binding, front and back. The repetitive phrase "ten little fingers and ten little toes" will appeal to the child. Parents will appreciate the fact that the baby pictures show that children are from all regions of the world and each has ten little fingers and ten little toes. There are 34 pages in this large (nine and a half by eleven inch) unpaged picture book. The large illustrations are life-like and will amuse toddlers and adults. Each page has only a few, well-chosen words that rhyme. No word is unnecessary, and the text fits perfectly with the baby pictures. They appear healthy, happy and lovable. No one will be able to resist this book about all babies having "ten little fingers and ten little toes." It makes a great gift for a young child. The binding is sturdy and can be wiped off with a damp cloth, and the pages are sturdy enough for many readings. Mem Fox, the author, wrote three companion books to Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Reviewer: Jennie DeGenaro
School Library Journal
PreS
"There was one little baby/who was born far away./And another who was born/on the very next day./And both of these babies,/as everyone knows,/had ten little fingers/and ten little toes." So opens this nearly perfect picture book. Fox's simple text lists a variety of pairs of babies, all with the refrain listing the requisite number of digits, and finally ending with the narrator's baby, who is "truly divine" and has fingers, toes, "and three little kisses/on the tip of its nose." Oxenbury's signature multicultural babies people the pages, gathering together and increasing by twos as each pair is introduced. They are distinctive in dress and personality and appear on primarily white backgrounds. The single misstep appears in the picture of the baby who was "born on the ice." The child, who looks to be from Northern Asia or perhaps an Inuit, stands next to a penguin. However, this minor jarring placement does not detract enough from the otherwise ideal marriage of text and artwork to prevent the book from being a first purchase. Whether shared one-on-one or in storytimes, where the large trim size and big, clear images will carry perfectly, this selection is sure to be a hit.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Kirkus Reviews
A pleasing poem that celebrates babies around the world. Whether from a remote village or an urban dwelling, a tent or the snow, Fox notes that each "of these babies, / as everyone knows, / had ten little fingers / and ten little toes." Repeated in each stanza, the verse establishes an easy rhythm. Oxenbury's charming illustrations depict infants from a variety of ethnicities wearing clothing that invokes a sense of place. Her pencil drawings, with clean watercolor washes laid in, are sweetly similar to those in her early board books (Clap Hands, 1987, etc.). Each stanza introduces a new pair of babies, and the illustrations cleverly incorporate the children from the previous stanzas onto one page, allowing readers to count not only fingers and toes but also babies. The last stanza switches its focus from two children to one "sweet little child," and reveals the narrator as that baby's mother. Little readers will take to the repetition and counting, while parents will be moved by the last spread: a sweet depiction of mother and baby. (Picture book. 3-5)
loading...