Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:

Baby’s Got The Blues
Author Carol Diggory Shields
Illustrator Lauren Tobia
Candlewick, 2014
Fiction
Suitable for ages: 3 to 7
Theme/Topic: Babies, Family, Siblings


Opening Spread: You think babies have it easy?


Brief Synopsis: (From Candlewick’s website)Oh, baby, wouldn’t it be grand to be a baby? No worries, no woes, the whole world doing everything for you. Like floating down easy street. . . . But wait one guitar-pickin’ minute. That’s a lie! Babies can’t talk, can’t walk, can’t even really chew. It’s enough to make the baby in this story blue, blue, blue. So get ready for a sad tale of soggy diapers, mushy meals, and sleepin’ behind bars that may make you cry, too — but more likely will make you giggle! Jamming with illustrator Lauren Tobia, Carol Diggory Shields gives a tip of the fedora to B.B. King in an ode to babyhood that’ll have readers feeling anything but blue.

Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of an infant is really like? In this bluesy story, sometimes being a baby is enough to make you cry.

Resources: There are plenty of resources about new siblings. But, this is really about the life of the baby. If you have a child dealing with the new baby blues, you could use the book as a talking point to show how their life might just be better than a baby. This book would be great paired with books like Not Yet, Rose by Susanna Leonard Hill or The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall.


Why I Like This: I love this twist on a baby book. From this baby’s perspective, LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS GRAND. I mean check this out:

I laugh every time we read this one.


For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.