Don't Eat the Baby

by Amy Young

Overview

New baby brothers are

loud

stinky

and totally boring.

But are they tasty, too?

All the grown-ups in Tom’s life seem to think Baby Nathaniel looks cute enough to eat.

Would they really eat a baby for dinner?

Could Tom be next?!

Children will giggle and parents will smile as Amy Young puts a delicious twist on the classic new baby tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101639474
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/16/2013
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	73 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Amy Young trained as a fine artist at Yale and went on to receive an MFA in painting from Indiana University, as well as a law degree from Harvard. She worked as a lawyer for several years before turning in her law books and picking up a paintbrush. She now writes and illustrates full time.  Visit Amy at www.amyyoungart.com.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Don't Eat the Baby by Amy Young:

“… [Young] has a way of making color seem almost delicious...” —Publishers Weekly

"...a sweet and original little read in a market glutted with new-sibling stories" —Kirkus

Editorial Reviews

Young touches on many variations of sibling ambivalence with both humor and sympathy, in ways that will speak particularly well to older brothers.

The New York Times Book Review - Pamela Paul

When grownups say a baby “looks good enough to eat,” they don’t really mean it, right? Tom, a budding superhero who’s been smarting about being displaced by his smelly, attention-hogging baby brother, suddenly becomes quite protective when he hears his relatives’ seemingly cannibalistic cooing (“Just look at those plump, juicy thighs!”) and wonders if he might be next. He barricades himself and little Nathaniel in his bedroom, declaring, “He’s my brother, and I won’t let you eat him!” Young (The Mud Fairy), working with acrylics, has a way of making color seem almost delicious: her domestic scenes are at their best when there’s an emotional backdrop—like the gorgeous marine blue that surrounds Tom when he first thinks his relatives’ intentions are nefarious. But the story has a sitcom feel and a pat ending (“My dad said, ‘I’m proud that you wanted to protect Baby Thaniel, Tom.’ ”). Aside from a couple mildly irreverent images—Baby Thaniel snuggled up on a dinner plate; family members eying Tom hungrily, forks in hand—Young doesn’t push the comedic potential of Tom’s misunderstanding very far. Ages 3–5. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Don't Eat the Baby by Amy Young:

“… [Young] has a way of making color seem almost delicious...” —Publishers Weekly

"...a sweet and original little read in a market glutted with new-sibling stories" —Kirkus

From the Publisher

PreS-K—Tom has a new brother, and everyone keeps threatening to gobble Baby up. They nibble his toes and talk about his plump thighs, fussing over him and leaving the older child feeling invisible. As the family prepares to gather for dinner, it appears to him that "the Blob" is the main course, and he takes action by hiding his sibling. This story has a familiar plot: big brother does not really like the new baby until there is a threat, and then he becomes protective. The twist here is a young boy learning about idioms, or, as his mother explains, "Silly things grown-ups say." Most children begin to understand them around age seven, so it is hard to determine the audience for this book. While the story is funny to those who get it, it may go over the heads of many preschoolers. One-on-one with plenty of time for explanations, it might reassure younger children. The layout is clean and well designed, and lively acrylic illustrations are done in bright colors; Tom wears a red superhero cape. Libraries looking for more "new baby" titles will find this one acceptable.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada

School Library Journal

They'll eat him up they love him so. Or so this new big brother fears. Tom would be the first to admit that he's not a huge fan of his new little brother, Nathaniel. "The Blob", as Tom calls him, spends most of his time pooping, sleeping and crying. Though relatives inform him that someday he'll have fun with his little bro, Tom remains skeptical. Yet for all that the baby is a time suck (sometimes it's like no one even notices Tom anymore), he is terribly perturbed whenever a visitor meets Nathaniel and comments that they'd like to nibble, bite, eat or otherwise nosh on him. All this comes to a head at a party for the new baby when Tom decides he needs to take drastic steps to ensure that his new little brother remains undevoured. What could come off as creepy ends up being rather touching thanks to the wordplay at work. Simple acrylic paints set just the right tone for this tale of a newly protective sibling. And scenes of realistic baby-based chaos (a living room flooded with baby stuff) will ring true with both parents and siblings, whether veterans or new at the job. Who would have thought that threatened cannibalism could yield such a sweet and original little read in a market glutted with new-sibling stories? (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews