Baby Face: A Book of Love for Baby by Cynthia Rylant, Diane Goode (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Baby lovely,Baby sweet,Baby so divine.I love your pretty baby face.Tell me you are mine.

From the early morning of a new day to afternoon nap time to the evening bath and bedtime, a baby's life is sometimes quiet, sometimes busy, and always filled with baby love.Newbery Medal recipient Cynthia Rylant and beloved artist Diane goode joyfully celebrate all of the treasured moments in a baby's life in six read-aloud verses for babies and toddlers to share — especially with those they love.

Publishers Weekly

Produced by a winning team, this collection of six poems celebrating universal moments in a baby's life (bathtime, first steps, a ride in the carriage) turns on the "awww" factor. Rylant's rhyming verse offers numerous expressions of love ("Baby lovely,/ Baby sweet,/ Baby so divine./ I love your pretty baby face./ Tell me you are mine"). Each poem has its own "title page", e.g., "Baby Teeth" or "Baby Bed," which gives the volume an anthology feel, while a slightly oversize square format makes this an excellent choice for lap sharing. Goode (previously paired with Rylant for When I Was Young in the Mountains) employs a looser line and simpler figures than usual, offsetting the sentimentality of the poems with buoyant, energetic vignettes. She creates a sense of motion with watercolor spot illustrations that flow between the text on the ample white space. Images of the dynamic multiracial cast, paired with the catchy, cooing text, add up to a can't-miss with parents and grandparents-and their babies. Ages 1-5. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

PreS

This collection of six gentle poems, each starring a child interacting with a family member, affectionately describes moments such as first steps, a bath, a carriage walk, and bedtime. The adults, and even a dog, dote on their babies. The activities will be familiar to youngsters, but the rhymes and word choices are sometimes awkward: "A perfect nose,/a perfect mouth,/and extraspecial ears./I love those eyes,/I love that hair,/I love those no-more-tears." Filled with softness and love, the honeyed pencil, watercolor, and gouache illustrations depict an ethnically diverse cast of characters. However, some of the images, overwhelmed by too much white space, look small on the page. Although this is not the strongest work from Rylant or Goode-independently or collaboratively-Baby Face will appeal to fans of Good Morning, Sweetie Pie (S & S, 2001) and is especially well suited as a read-aloud to very small children at quiet times.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

Kirkus Reviews

Six babies populate these six poems, paeans to the momentous events of baby life: first steps, a bath, going out in the carriage, getting teeth, going to bed. Asking, "what shall you chew?" for "Baby Teeth" the narrator notes fondly, "How about some building blocks? / I think you love those most." The verses fall gently upon the ear, and Goode's watercolor, pencil and gouache pictures-squiggly babies and softly hued mamas, dads, grandparents-gambol on white backgrounds. Dogs, cats, toys and favorite blankets also figure prominently. These are definitely baby-rocking rhymes for parents, babysitters or older siblings to read aloud to the giggling bundle of joy in their charge. A few have the potential of memorization with a chance of becoming a familiar family favorite. (Picture book. 0-3)

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