HELLO BABY!

HELLO BABY!

Written by Mem Fox, Illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Image credit: www.memfox.com

1. Bibliography

Fox, Mem. 2009. Hello Baby! Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York: Beach Lane Books. 

ISBN 9781416985136

2. Plot Summary

This book begins with the narrator saying "Hello, baby! Who are you?"  The following text compares "baby" to an exotic collection of animals, one on each double-page spread.  From a leopard "dozing at dusk" to an elephant "wielding a tusk", children are sure to find their favorite. The last pages have a sweet sentiment ending with "Are you my treasure? The answer is yes".

3. Critical Analysis 

Beloved children's author Mem Fox creates another lovable animal tale.  The simple, rhyming couplets create a text perfect for reading aloud to young children.  This book is one that they will soon memorize and read to themselves.  Although Fox is known for her ties to Africa and Australia, this text does not contain any specific cultural markers.  Though the animals are exotic including a porcupine, gecko, and zebra, they do not seem to come from one particular geographic region.  This book is a loving dialogue between a parent and child that could occur in any culture.  The one exception is the human hands of the mother and child on the final page belong to a Caucasian parent and child.

Jenkins' brightly colored cut-paper collages set against white backgrounds pop on the page as each animal is impressively detailed and expressive. From the intricate hairs of the warthog to the owl's winking eye, each animal is a visual treat.  The next-to-last page is a silhouette of each animal that would be perfect for a retelling of this story with a very young reader. Add this book to the collection of any pre-reader as it is sure to become a favorite that is read again and again.

4. Review Excerpts

BOOKLIST (May 2009) "Working in his signature meduim of cut-paper collage, Jenkins coaxes clear expressions out of his animal subjects, even as his precision helps viewers zero in on the animals' features noted in the text.  In the end, a clever visual matching game leads into a loving affirmation for every child."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (April 2009) "This collaboration results in a lovely read-aloud for preschool storytimes or a perfect selection for one-on-one sharing."

5. Connections

• Toddlers who already know Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by heart would love to hear this rhyming text over and over again.

• This story would be a perfect mentor text to use in a Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom to create a "class book" in which each child makes their own page with an illustration and sentence of text.