Don't Eat the Baby

March 25, 2013
When grownups say a baby “looks good enough to eat,” they don’t really mean it, right? Tom, a budding superhero who’s been smarting about being displaced by his smelly, attention-hogging baby brother, suddenly becomes quite protective when he hears his relatives’ seemingly cannibalistic cooing (“Just look at those plump, juicy thighs!”) and wonders if he might be next. He barricades himself and little Nathaniel in his bedroom, declaring, “He’s my brother, and I won’t let you eat him!” Young (The Mud Fairy), working with acrylics, has a way of making color seem almost delicious: her domestic scenes are at their best when there’s an emotional backdrop—like the gorgeous marine blue that surrounds Tom when he first thinks his relatives’ intentions are nefarious. But the story has a sitcom feel and a pat ending (“My dad said, ‘I’m proud that you wanted to protect Baby Thaniel, Tom.’ ”). Aside from a couple mildly irreverent images—Baby Thaniel snuggled up on a dinner plate; family members eying Tom hungrily, forks in hand—Young doesn’t push the comedic potential of Tom’s misunderstanding very far. Ages 3–5.

April 15, 2013
They'll eat him up they love him so. Or so this new big brother fears. Tom would be the first to admit that he's not a huge fan of his new little brother, Nathaniel. "The Blob," as Tom calls him, spends most of his time pooping, sleeping and crying. Though relatives inform him that someday he'll have fun with his little bro, Tom remains skeptical. Yet for all that the baby is a time suck (sometimes it's like no one even notices Tom anymore), he is terribly perturbed whenever a visitor meets Nathaniel and comments that they'd like to nibble, bite, eat or otherwise nosh on him. All this comes to a head at a party for the new baby when Tom decides he needs to take drastic steps to ensure that his new little brother remains undevoured. What could come off as creepy ends up being rather touching thanks to the wordplay at work. Simple acrylic paints set just the right tone for this tale of a newly protective sibling. And scenes of realistic baby-based chaos (a living room flooded with baby stuff) will ring true with both parents and siblings, whether veterans or new at the job. Who would have thought that threatened cannibalism could yield such a sweet and original little read in a market glutted with new-sibling stories? (Picture book. 3-7)

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June 1, 2013

PreS-K-Tom has a new brother, and everyone keeps threatening to gobble Baby up. They nibble his toes and talk about his plump thighs, fussing over him and leaving the older child feeling invisible. As the family prepares to gather for dinner, it appears to him that "the Blob" is the main course, and he takes action by hiding his sibling. This story has a familiar plot: big brother does not really like the new baby until there is a threat, and then he becomes protective. The twist here is a young boy learning about idioms, or, as his mother explains, "Silly things grown-ups say." Most children begin to understand them around age seven, so it is hard to determine the audience for this book. While the story is funny to those who get it, it may go over the heads of many preschoolers. One-on-one with plenty of time for explanations, it might reassure younger children. The layout is clean and well designed, and lively acrylic illustrations are done in bright colors; Tom wears a red superhero cape. Libraries looking for more "new baby" titles will find this one acceptable.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2013
Grades K-2 Spoiler alert: nobody eats the baby. And yet this clever offering does tease out the possibility of cannibalism in a lighthearted way. Tom is a little boy rather bummed out about his new baby brother, Nathaniel. Tom calls him the Blob because he isn't anywhere near as fun as Tom was promisedhe just sits there. What's the point? Well, the point, he discovers, may be for the adults to eat the child. Just listen to what they say! I could just take a big bite out of him! says Grandma. Don't you just want to eat him up? asks Auntie Lulu. Just look at those plump, juicy thighs! squeals Auntie Mimi. So Tom takes drastic measures, locking himself in a room with Nathaniel to fend off the bloodthirsty beasts. His folks are actually proud of his protective instinctsee, he loves the Blob after all! Young strays a bit from her premise here and there, but it is nonetheless a strong, humorous one. The acrylic illustrations, meanwhile, keep things from getting scary. A yummy little morsel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
A young boy wearing a red cape resents his new baby brother, but when relatives and parents exclaim the baby is so sweet they could "eat him up," Tom springs into action to protect him. The illustrations add humor to a one-note, predictable story that doesn't add much to the crowded field of new sibling books.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)