Sam's First Word

by Bea Birdsong, Holly Hatam (Illustrator)

Overview

Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada meets Everybody Poops in this silly story about a baby whose first word—POOP!—isn't getting the message across.

Everyone in Sam's family wants her to say their name for her first word. To convince her, Mama sings, Papa tells a story, and Nana draws. Even their neighbor Mr. Theotopolous gets in on the action by performing an epic poem.

Sam definitely has something to say, something urgent, but how can she make her family stop thinking about themselves and listen? When all else fails, she may have to take drastic measures . . . .

This sweetly silly story is read-aloud fun for the whole family, from parents who may end up laughing at themselves to kids who will cheer Sam on to her triumphant finale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316452441
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	02/16/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	524,322
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bea Birdsong is the author of I Will Be Fierce and other picture books. She is also a writer for the education market and a former teacher who believes in the awesome power of books to educate, entertain, and empower. Bea lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with her husband, son, and rescue dog. She invites you to follow her on Twitter @beabirdsong and to visit her online at beabirdsong.com.

Holly Hatam is the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Dear Girl and Dear Boy, as well as Unicorns Are Real, Made by Maxine, and Jack (Not Jackie). Her mission with her art is to spread love, to make meaningful connections, and to create change. Holly lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and son. She invites you to visit her online at hollyhatam.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/19/2020

With rhythmic prose and textural digital illustrations sure to draw giggles, Birdsong and Hatam follow “newish baby” Sam, whose first word is not receiving the attention she wants. Mama, Papa, Nana, and neighbor Mr. Theotopolous are intent on getting Sam to make their respective names her first word, going to extreme measures to ensure their success. (Mr. Theotopolous recites a poem—“His poem had forty-four words. Twenty-two of them were Mister. The other twenty-two were Theotopolous.”) But Sam has a more pressing issue at hand—or rather, in diaper. Casual, oft-comedic phrasing emphasizes the childlike perspective as pale-skinned protagonist Sam navigates her way among the “big people.” With vivid, large print accentuating Sam’s new word, this picture book is sure to please any child who enjoys scatological humor. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Cheeky.... Fresh, fun, and funny."—Kirkus Reviews

"[A] nifty, high-spirited bit of toddler turnabout."—Booklist

"Children will delight in the scatological humor and fast-paced plot, while grown-ups will appreciate the scenes-from-real-life quest."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2021

Toddler-PreS—Sam is a baby who is learning to do all kinds of things, to the great delight of all the grown-ups in her life. Sam's mother, father, grandma, and neighbor all plot to get her to say their names as her first word. As the grown-ups muse over ways to get the baby to say their names, Sam gets more and more frustrated, until she finally figures out a way to get what she wants. Her actual first word, ignored by all the adults in funny scenes, is, "poop." Cartoony digital illustrations depict Sam's antics alongside the ever-faithful Farnsworth, the family dog, with speech bubbles for the characters that match their outfits. Sam joyfully gets what she wants, stripping off her clothes and diaper to get the attention of the adults in her life. Children will delight in the scatological humor and fast-paced plot, while grown-ups will appreciate the scenes-from-real-life quest. In Hatam's cheerful watercolor-like scenes, Sam and her family present as white, while neighbor Mr. Theotopoulos has dark skin. VERDICT An easy first purchase, where lowbrow humor meets screwball comedy, this sweet and silly read-aloud is perfect for story times.—Kelsey Socha, Westfield Athenaeum, Westfield, MA

School Library Journal

★ 2020-11-18
A decidedly cheeky first-word book.

Little Sam is the adored child of Mama and Papa. She also has a doting grandmother and a friendly neighbor named Mr. Theotopolous (whose surname suggests Greek heritage and whose light-brown complexion is darker than Sam’s light-skinned family). Everyone cheers Sam on as she achieves various milestones, and they anxiously await her first word. To humorous effect, they also each try to coach her so that word is Mama, Papa, Nana, and Mr. Theotopolous, respectively. They get so caught up in that coaching that they miss the fact that Sam is already saying her first word, repeatedly: “Poop.” Unfortunately, this punchline is given away on the book’s cover, which undermines the humor on a first reading, but this is the only misstep in a book that otherwise gets its pacing just right. Hatam’s crisp, bright illustrations capture Sam’s efforts to get the grown-ups’ attention as she finally resorts to stripping off her soiled diaper and declaring “POOP!” one final time. Like many a toddler, Sam stands proudly naked, the cartoon style presenting a frontal view of the child without anatomical detail. A clever ending reveals Sam’s second word as the cherry on top of this sweet toddler story.

Fresh, fun, and funny. (Picture book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews