When You Were a Baby (Learning Ladders)

A parent describes for a child all the things experienced in babyhood, from the first perceptions of sight and sound to the beginning of crawling and walking.

PreSchool-K-- Filled with color photos of babies being babies, this attractive picture book will fascinate toddlers and preschoolers. Illustrations combine with the first-person text to give a delightful portrait of the first year of life. From "at first you didn't do much of anything" through sitting and crawling to the first steps, this is a terrific answer to questions beginning "When I was little . . . ." The book is also ideal for acquainting children with a new or expected brother or sister. Clear, smoothly-written text conveys the fun of life with an infant, but the photographs steal the show. Glowing with soft colors, they have a sunlit, misty quality that expresses the wonder of a new life; the subjects are irresistible--newborns and toddlers, sleeping, crying, laughing, and exploring. This is not a "Where did I come from?" book, nor does it address the problem of sibling rivalry. It's a thoroughly enjoyable celebration of babyhood that both mothers and children will enjoy. For more information on infant development and equally appealing photographs, try Babies! (Holiday, 1988) by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent or George Ancona's It's a Baby! (Dutton, 1979). --Lucy Young Clem, Evansville Vanderburgh County Public Library, Ind.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Addressing readers as "you," this book explains what babies are like from their earliest days to that first step toward toddlerhood. Photos support the spare text, showing babies as they discover the world around them, a world that includes neighborhood sounds, baths, food and more food, siblings and sleeping. In fact, it is siblings who will have the most to gain from this clear presentation. By understanding the stages they went through as babies, they may be better prepared for the disruptions and joys a younger brother or sister will bring to the household. Ages 16 months-4 years.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.