The Baby Dances - Softcover

Kathy Henderson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0744563607 ISBN 13: 9780744563603

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, 2000

Synopsis

Against a background of the changing seasons, this book captures the joy and excitement of a baby's first year. She is born in winter; in the spring, she smiles her first smile; in the summer, she rolls over and sits up; and in the autumn, she crawls and stands.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

"The baby's born./ The baby's born./ In the middle of winter/ and a windy, rattling, late rainstorm/ she has her first warm hug/ in her father's arms..." So begins this lyrical and visually sumptuous overview of a baby's first year. Henderson (A Year in the City) and Kerins (The Brave Ones) follow the baby girl through the seasons and the major milestones: first smile, rolling over, sitting, crawling. When winter rolls around again, "she takes her first lurching steps,/ reaches out.../ staggers... prances.../ and safe in her brother's arms,/ the baby dances!" New parents may well be taken with the romanticized celebration of an infant's changes and growth, while preschoolers can anticipate the changes to come with a new arrival at home. The majority of Kerins's luxuriant, full-bleed pastels focus only on the baby herself; she is bathed in an angelic glow, immaculate, and always cheerful. Meanwhile, her brother, shown interacting with his younger sister in small black-and-white vignettes as sidebars to the main illustrations, displays not a whit of sibling rivalry. Preschool children fascinated by tales of their own development will appreciate this accessible approach to a baby's first stages of growth. Ages 3-6. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-The milestones in a baby's first year are beautifully captured in this lyrical work. On a cold winter night, a child is born. As the seasons change, so does the infant. By summer she can wave "her hands at shadows" and sit up by herself. She is crawling as the autumn leaves begin to fall and by the next winter "she takes her first lurching steps...." Henderson's well-crafted text is rhythmic and full of evocative images: the baby lifts her hands and stands "Like a tightrope walker/in the gusty wind...." Kerins's full-page pastel illustrations are remarkably realistic and glow with warmth and tenderness. Subtle details such as magnolia blossoms falling into the carriage and tiny fingers pulling on clover strengthen the text's metaphoric linking of the child with nature. Smaller black-and-white sketches offer a glimpse of family members. The final full-page illustration is of the girl dancing into her brother's arms, making this perfect for sharing with older siblings.
Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0744563607
• ISBN 13: 9780744563603
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Tony Kerins