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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Newberg Public Library | FAMILY SOLHEIM | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
July 8
Imagine! A day ago I'd never even heard of the world, and suddenly here I am in it. There's so much to write about'macaroni, Fun World, and a big sister who has it all figured out. Which is why boys adore her. I need to get her attention back on me? and quick. But how? Should I take up sumo wrestling? Stunt flying? All I know how to do is write.
But don't tell anyone. This diary you're looking at is TOP SECRET? just for you and me!
Renowned illustrator Simon James brings sweetness and charm to James Solheim's hilarious diary of a baby'and the result is a one-of-a-kind picture book no one will be expecting!
Author Notes
Simon J. James is lecturer in Victorian literature at the University of Durham.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-"If I'd known I was going to be born in public, I'd at least have put on a tank top," begins this infant's diary. A funny twist on the typical new sibling story, this book is written from the baby's point of view as he tries to grow up and be like his big sister. He offers his ideas about the world around him in short monthly entries, until, at the end, he and his sister become best friends as he turns one year old-just what he always wanted! The watercolor and ink illustrations (done on faintly lined pages as in a notebook) faithfully follow the humorous text, depicted in three or four vignettes on each spread. The book is a fresh and amusing slant on sibling adjustment and should capture the imagination of any big brother or sister.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
As fake memoirs go, this one is a hoot, with Solheim (It's Disgusting-and We Ate It!) and James (Baby Brains) adopting the voice of a precocious infant diarist observing his newly discovered world. The narrator is a kinder, gentler version of The Family Guy's Stewie Griffin: "If I'd known I was going to be born in public, I'd at least have put on a tank top," he writes. Eight months later, he confidently notes, "Finally-I have it figured out. Some things are noses, some are taxicabs, and some are Belgians." But most important (both for the story and for the battered egos of readers with new brothers or sisters) the narrator has figured out who's the big Kahuna in the house-and it's not Mom or Dad. Describing his kindergarten-age sister as "some kind of monkey-bar superstar or something," he also scribbles: "Note to myself: Imitate that girl. Just imitate her." James's reportorial watercolor-and-ink cartoons make terrific visual punctuation; he never overplays the jokes, and he may well convince readers that there actually are deep, incisive thoughts lurking behind their new sibling's pudgy, pacifier-sucking face. Ages 3-5. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A baby who aspires to be a writer catalogs impressions of his/her older sister ("Note to myself: Imitate that girl") and of him/herself ("I do nothing except spit up. I must focus. Focus!"). The winking text and witty loose-lined illustrations are a hoot, but the humor will appeal more to adults than older siblings. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
If we could hear the thoughts of an infant, we might not be surprised by the sardonic and precocious voice of this newborn'syear-long diary. Solheim's cartoons in ink-and-watercolor vignettes provide humorous images of this hyperobservant baby's discovery of everything from a tantalizing crib mobile to hands that can grab, feet that can be sucked, food that can be flung and the notion that "the up end of people is their hairstyles and the down end is their tootsie-wootsies." Yet the best discovery of this aspiring new author is how crying or laughing can alter communicationespecially when a big sister's love makes her the best friend "For Ever." Older siblings with a sense of how a new baby can change the dynamics of a family may appreciate this baby's adjustment to life while recognizing that younger brothers or sisters can be the most admiring and supportive of friends. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The conceit is this: a baby is born and immediately begins keeping a journal. She meets her big sister, tries to puzzle out a mobile, wonders why she can't go to school, and learns she can grab things. (Note to self: grab cats, ears, elephants, ankles, and Vermont. ) This diary has some very funny asides, but the problem is that some may be over the heads of the intended age group. For instance, Some things are noses, some are taxicabs, and some are Belgians. Cute, if you know what a Belgian is. The Quentin Blake-style watercolors don't always mine the fun as much as they could, but the spacious design, with its tall white pages and scattering of vignettes, is pleasing to the eye. Try this with kids slightly older than the usual preschool crowd, and you'll get some giggles.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist