Born Yesterday: The Diary of a Young Journalist

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Overview

July 8

Imagine! A day ago I'd never even heard of the world, and suddenly here I am in it. There's so much to write about-macaroni, Fun World, and a big sister who has it all figured out. Which is why boys adore her. I need to get her attention back on me? and quick. But how? Should I take up sumo wrestling? Stunt flying? All I know how to do is write.

But don't tell anyone. This diary you're looking at is TOP...

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More About This Book

Overview

July 8

Imagine! A day ago I'd never even heard of the world, and suddenly here I am in it. There's so much to write about-macaroni, Fun World, and a big sister who has it all figured out. Which is why boys adore her. I need to get her attention back on me? and quick. But how? Should I take up sumo wrestling? Stunt flying? All I know how to do is write.

But don't tell anyone. This diary you're looking at is TOP SECRET? just for you and me!

Renowned illustrator Simon James brings sweetness and charm to James Solheim's hilarious diary of a baby-and the result is a one-of-a-kind picture book no one will be expecting!

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
As fake memoirs go, this one is a hoot, with Solheim (It's Disgusting—and We Ate It!) and James (Baby Brains) adopting the voice of a precocious infant diarist observing his newly discovered world. The narrator is a kinder, gentler version of The Family Guy's Stewie Griffin: “If I'd known I was going to be born in public, I'd at least have put on a tank top,” he writes. Eight months later, he confidently notes, “Finally—I have it figured out. Some things are noses, some are taxicabs, and some are Belgians.” But most important (both for the story and for the battered egos of readers with new brothers or sisters) the narrator has figured out who's the big Kahuna in the house—and it's not Mom or Dad. Describing his kindergarten-age sister as “some kind of monkey-bar superstar or something,” he also scribbles: “Note to myself: Imitate that girl. Just imitate her.” James's reportorial watercolor-and-ink cartoons make terrific visual punctuation; he never overplays the jokes, and he may well convince readers that there actually are deep, incisive thoughts lurking behind their new sibling's pudgy, pacifier-sucking face. Ages 3-5. (Mar.)
Publishers Weekly
As fake memoirs go, this one is a hoot, with Solheim (It's Disgusting—and We Ate It!) and James (Baby Brains) adopting the voice of a precocious infant diarist observing his newly discovered world. The narrator is a kinder, gentler version of The Family Guy's Stewie Griffin: “If I'd known I was going to be born in public, I'd at least have put on a tank top,” he writes. Eight months later, he confidently notes, “Finally—I have it figured out. Some things are noses, some are taxicabs, and some are Belgians.” But most important (both for the story and for the battered egos of readers with new brothers or sisters) the narrator has figured out who's the big Kahuna in the house—and it's not Mom or Dad. Describing his kindergarten-age sister as “some kind of monkey-bar superstar or something,” he also scribbles: “Note to myself: Imitate that girl. Just imitate her.” James's reportorial watercolor-and-ink cartoons make terrific visual punctuation; he never overplays the jokes, and he may well convince readers that there actually are deep, incisive thoughts lurking behind their new sibling's pudgy, pacifier-sucking face. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2—"If I'd known I was going to be born in public, I'd at least have put on a tank top," begins this infant's diary. A funny twist on the typical new sibling story, this book is written from the baby's point of view as he tries to grow up and be like his big sister. He offers his ideas about the world around him in short monthly entries, until, at the end, he and his sister become best friends as he turns one year old—just what he always wanted! The watercolor and ink illustrations (done on faintly lined pages as in a notebook) faithfully follow the humorous text, depicted in three or four vignettes on each spread. The book is a fresh and amusing slant on sibling adjustment and should capture the imagination of any big brother or sister.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Kirkus Reviews
If we could hear the thoughts of an infant, we might not be surprised by the sardonic and precocious voice of this newborn's year-long diary. Solheim's cartoons in ink-and-watercolor vignettes provide humorous images of this hyperobservant baby's discovery of everything from a tantalizing crib mobile to hands that can grab, feet that can be sucked, food that can be flung and the notion that "the up end of people is their hairstyles and the down end is their tootsie-wootsies." Yet the best discovery of this aspiring new author is how crying or laughing can alter communication-especially when a big sister's love makes her the best friend "For Ever." Older siblings with a sense of how a new baby can change the dynamics of a family may appreciate this baby's adjustment to life while recognizing that younger brothers or sisters can be the most admiring and supportive of friends. (Picture book. 5-8)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780399251559
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 3/18/2010
  • Pages: 32
  • Sales rank: 500,021
  • Age range: 3 - 5 Years
  • Product dimensions: 9.38 (w) x 11.52 (h) x 0.34 (d)

Meet the Author

Simon J. James is lecturer in Victorian literature at the University of Durham.

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Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review

  • Posted July 31, 2010

    2010 Summer reading

    My 5 year old daughter asked a bunch of questions about the format and the dates and what the baby was doing. It was amusing for me to read to her however she only wanted to go through the book once.

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