Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers. Illustrated by Marla Frazee.
I first read this book a while back, but now that I’m writing a review of it for the library web page, I find that I’ve never reviewed it here. And since I actually bought the book for myself (a mark of high esteem, when the library owns two copies), and have been giving it to every baby for a first birthday present – well, you just need to know about this book. This picture book follows babies from birth to first birthday. Your baby will see multicultural babies living with families of all kinds – subtle enough not to freak the grandparents, but there if you look. “Every day, everywhere, babies” begins each double-paged spread… babies are born, carried, dressed, crawling. Gentle rhymes elaborate on the opening phrase, while the watercolor illustrations show babies both happy and frustrated, parents both playful and exhausted. The rhyming text makes it perfect for even small babies, while the pictures are detailed and funny enough for an older child to enjoy time after time. The ending “Every day, everywhere, babies are loved – for trying so hard, for coming so far, for being so wonderful just as they are,” makes me tear up every time.