Birthday baby by Jane Godwin and Davina Bell

Ill. Freya Blackwood, Allen & Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760291525
(Ages: 3+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Babies. Birthdays. Family. Parties. On baby's birthday many friends come along to the party. Mum and Dad welcome them all: adults, children and the dog. The families tumble down the stairs, some with pushers, one carrying food, one riding a trike, but all happy and pointing towards the family which greets them.
After that each page has a range of babies and an adjective (descriptive word) about the baby. We have a smiley baby and friendly baby and a sunny baby leading into a dribble baby and brave baby but as time goes on and some of their food is taken by the dog, the babies become more tired. Adjectives change from positive to more negative: cry baby, cranky baby, wriggly and angry, and as every parent will know, it is time to go home.
When the pusher is taken back up the stairs and the tired children leave, then it is time for the birthday baby to have its bath, have a book read and then go to bed for a well deserved rest.
The wonderful warm illustrations by Blackwood are enticing, reflecting a personal view of children and their parents together. The looks on all the faces are delicious, full of the snatches of childhood, showcasing the variety of expressions and feelings exposed by such a tiring day for little people.
A delightful look at a baby and its friends coming around for a birthday party which will encourage discussion amongst the readers about their birthdays.
Fran Knight