Hey Little Baby!: With Audio Recording

by Heather Leigh, Genevieve Cote (Illustrator)

Overview

An adorable baby discovers the world around him.

A little baby has found his hands, his tiny toes, his lovely voice, and his sweet nose—what else will he find in his world, his cozy, wonder-filled world? Heather Leigh’s spare, rhythmic text combines with Geneviève Côté’s warm and inviting illustrations for a delightful picture book that explores all of the adorable traits that make a baby special—and how those traits might shape a baby as he grows up to be a unique little person.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439157398
Publisher:	Beach Lane Books
Publication date:	04/03/2012
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	2 - 6 Years

About the Author

Heather Leigh lives with her family in Arcata, California. Hey Little Baby! is her first picture book.

Geneviève Côté has illustrated a number of children’s books, including The Lady of Shalott, by Tennyson, La petite rapporteuse de mots, by Danielle Simard, and her own Me and You, What Elephant? and With You, Always, Little Monday.  Her editorial art has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, l’Actualité and other such publications. She has won several honors, including the Elisabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award in 2005 and the General Governor’s Award for Illustration in 2007. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.  Visit her at www.genevievecoteillustration.com.

Editorial Reviews

What will you find in this marvelous world?” asks debut author Leigh in this celebration of a new arrival. The answers are defined by proximity—the round-headed, redheaded baby discovers his hands, his feet, his nose, his mouth, and his voice. But each of these breakthroughs points to a host of future possibilities—hands can be used to build a mighty sand castle, feet can carry their owner to school, and a voice can sing around a campfire; with each flash-forward vignette, readers will notice that the protagonist is maturing, reaching adolescence in final pages. Leigh opts for cooing over specificity (“What will you smell with that nose? What will you smell with that darling nose?”), but Côté’s (Ella May and the Wishing Stone) mixed-media sketches easily carry the narrative load. The pleasures she imagines her hero growing into are simple, familiar ones—first love, splashing in puddles, encounters with cute wildlife—and the combination of her sunny palette and graceful black outlining gives each page an openhearted exuberance. And seldom has the mother of a newborn looked so soigné. Ages 2–6. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"With a melodic and motherly voice, this gentle and captivating picture book welcomes a little baby into the world.... A lovely choice for new babies and their parents."

—Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2012

"A baby is warmly welcomed to the world by his doting parents, who fantasize about what he will be able to do as he grows.... Softly hued mixed-media illustrations reveal several possibilities...while the pictures show what the child might do with his nose, feet, mouth, and voice as he develops. Children will enjoy seeing what the growing child may accomplish and how his abilities compare with theirs."

—School Library Journal, March 2012

"What will you find in this marvelous world?" asks debut author Leigh in this celebration of a new arrival…. The pleasures…[Geneviève Côté] imagines her hero growing into are simple, familiar ones—first love, splashing in puddles, encounters with cute wildlife—and the combination of her sunny palette and graceful black outlining gives each page an open-hearted exuberance. And seldom has the mother of a newborn looked so soigné.”

—Publishers Weekly, February 13, 2012

“The narrative is well-paced and works nicely with the rounded, muted illustrations, making for a gentle read-aloud for the youngest child. Use this as a conversation starter with preschoolers expecting a new baby sibling, or as an opportunity for prereaders to bring their own imaginative narrative to the illustrations.”

—Booklist, March 15, 2012

From the Publisher

PreS—A baby is warmly welcomed to the world by his doting parents, who fantasize about what he will be able to do as he grows. "Hey little baby, you've found your hands. What will you make with those hands? What will you make with those beautiful hands?" Softly hued mixed-media illustrations reveal several possibilities: on one spread, a young child holds aloft a LEGO plane he has created, stands proudly near an easel displaying his painting, and helps another child build a sandcastle. The simple refrain is repeated throughout the book—"you've found your feet," etc.—while the pictures show what the child might do with his nose, feet, mouth, and voice as he develops. Children will enjoy seeing what the growing child may accomplish and how his abilities compare with theirs.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

With a melodic and motherly voice, this gentle and captivating picture book welcomes a little baby into the world. As a tiny infant finds his hands, Leigh's first picture book captures parental hopes and dreams for their newborn with a simple, repeating form. "What will you make with those hands? / What will you make with those beautiful hands?" The future is unveiled, and Côté's illustrations show him using his hands to build with blocks, make art, and create a sandcastle with a friend. This cherished little baby goes on to find his "darling" nose, his "delightful" mouth and his "lovely" voice. Simple and spare illustrations with the look of watercolor and ink depict the curious new baby. As the infant discovers each new body part, the illustrations show the smiling, nearly-naked tot. With the turn of a page, the joyful and active years to come are depicted with little white space, full of the adventures of childhood. Each time he explores something new, he grows up a little more in "the future," eventually giving flowers to the sweet friend from his sandcastle-building days. That she looks just like his mother may confuse some children but emphasizes that the forecasts are his parents' dreams based on their own recollections. A lovely choice for new babies and their parents. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews