Baby Brother

by Usborne

This book is cute and amusing to my toddler. Title might be a little misleading as it has no storyline and doesn't really focus on the baby in the family. Each spread just shows a scene with a mom and three kids (one an infant) engaged in daily activities. One side of the spread shows a number of objects having to do with the activity, and on the opposite page you can find them in the picture. Scenes show having a meal, going for a walk, visiting a friend, taking a bath, and bedtime. The final spread shows all the objects together and names them all. The pictures are done with clay modeling and looked cartoony but also have some very realistic components. For example, the baby diapers and clothing look like actual objects were put on the modeled figures. Makes it interesting to look at. My toddler likes finding all the various items in the pictures and I make up a little narrative describing what they're doing, but there's not much else to this book. And it's not very well made, physically. The top layer of paper that has the picture printed on it is peeling off the cardboard base on several pages.

I think I read another book by this same author/illustrator before, which featured a farm, the clay modeling style looked very familiar. But the farm one we just enjoyed at the library and did not bring home.

Rating: 2/5 ........ 12 pages, 2008