Shhh! the Baby's Asleep

June 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 1 How can a big brother keep everyone quiet so his little sister, hugging her yellow bunny and snoring contentedly, can keep sleeping? Page after page, he scolds each noisy family member: Pop Pop sneezes loudly; "Creak!" goes Mom's footsteps; curly-headed sister Shae's hair dryer screams "Whir! Whir!"; and little brother pounds "Bang Bang Bang!" on his toy truck. The dog howls "Oowoooo!" and even Mr. Young next door mows his lawn with a "Vroom! Vroom!" Uh-oh!--all big brother's attempts to say "Shhhh!" fail, and the baby wakes with a loud, two-page "Waaaaaaaaaaa!" The solution? Brother soothes her cries with a book, and the whole Black family falls asleep, huddled closely together on the couch, while the baby squashed in the middle stays awake with her book. Argentinian illustrator Elissambura brings her unique style of collage and mixed media to every full-color page, depicting the frenetic gestures of each family member and creating tension in the burgeoning melodrama. Children won't be able to resist replicating each noise as the situation escalates.

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Starred review from July 1, 2021

PreS-K-Naptime in a busy house, where the baby has finally fallen asleep, means staying quiet, and it's not easy with so many people around! Dante needs to fix the wheels on his toy truck, Shae needs to set her curls, and the neighbor, Mr. Young, needs to mow his lawn. Will the baby be able to maintain a quiet slumber? Or will the noises made by others create an awakening? For families with young children, "Shh, the baby's asleep!" is a common refrain, frequently repeated throughout this delightful book. Short, rhyming couplets present the story in a sing-song fashion that will please preschoolers, who will want to mimic the many sounds that emerge throughout the narrative. This book expertly captures the fine line between wanting to get things done while the baby sleeps but also ensuring a docile environment. Mixed media illustrations give the images a collage-style effect and include vivid jewel tones and myriad patterns throughout. Dynamic angles increase the feelings of uncertainty as each new sound threatens. The characters in this story are multigenerational, depicted with dark skin and curly, textured hair; each person has a unique appearance yet all easily comprise a loving family. VERDICT Accessible and engaging, this tale can be used in story-hour settings, and will find a home on most shelves.-Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2021
Members of an extended family shush one another to try to keep the baby asleep. The baby is laid in the crib, "finally asleep," and Mom creeps out of the room, cringing at the creaking of the floor. The narrator, an older sibling, joins her as she finds Daddy and shushes him. The child and Daddy then find Grammy and shush her. Grammy helps shush Pop Pop, and the cycle continues until all siblings, pets, and even the neighbor have been shushed. Each character is engaged in some activity that isn't inherently loud but, in the context of this humorous scenario familiar to many families with babies, adds to the suspense: Which innocent noise will wake the baby? As the string of effort is pulled along, readers feel the family's roller coaster of emotional states, from desperation to frustration to exhaustion and finally relief. The text is composed of playful rhyming couplets, with sound effects hand-lettered in all-caps crowding into compositions as if they have lives of their own. The colorful, stylized illustrations add to the book's playful tone, lending a tense energy and a sense of barely controlled chaos to this Black family's humorous plight. Delightful comic relief for every household with a baby. (Picture book. 3-7)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2021
"Now don't make a peep... / The baby's finally asleep," begins this lighthearted and enjoyable story. After putting Baby down, big sibling and Mama tiptoe away from the crib. "Creak! Creak! Creak!" goes the floor, but, phew, they make it. What's that noise from the kitchen? It's Daddy's "loud belly," which "wants PB and jelly...Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! 'Shhh! The baby's asleep!'" The older child goes around the house shushing people -- handkerchief-holding "Pop Pop's red nose / just needs some good blows"; hairdryer-and-comb-wielding "Shae's hair is still wet / her curls haven't set." Finally everyone, including a lawn-mowing neighbor, knows to keep it down. But dogs will be dogs, and with a spread-spanning cry, the baby awakens. Fortunately, there's one more trick up our protagonist's sleeve: a book. Elissambura's digitally painted mixed-media illustrations, featuring textures galore and variations in family members' skin tones, are lively, colorful, and personality-filled. The story, with its predictable pattern, highly relatable situations, and enjoyable sound effects, has good read-aloud potential -- but quietly. Elissa Gershowitz

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2021
"Now don't make a peep... / The baby's finally asleep," begins this lighthearted and enjoyable story. After putting Baby down, big sibling and Mama tiptoe away from the crib. "Creak! Creak! Creak!" goes the floor, but, phew, they make it. What's that noise from the kitchen? It's Daddy's "loud belly," which "wants PB and jelly...Grumble! Grumble! Grumble! 'Shhh! The baby's asleep!'" The older child goes around the house shushing people -- handkerchief-holding "Pop Pop's red nose / just needs some good blows"; hairdryer-and-comb-wielding "Shae's hair is still wet / her curls haven't set." Finally everyone, including a lawn-mowing neighbor, knows to keep it down. But dogs will be dogs, and with a spread-spanning cry, the baby awakens. Fortunately, there's one more trick up our protagonist's sleeve: a book. Elissambura's digitally painted mixed-media illustrations, featuring textures galore and variations in family members' skin tones, are lively, colorful, and personality-filled. The story, with its predictable pattern, highly relatable situations, and enjoyable sound effects, has good read-aloud potential -- but quietly.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)