Baby Island

At the age of nine, I discovered this delightful book on my mother's book shelf. I was immediately captured, from the very first sentence. "Baby Island" is the story of Jean and Mary, two young sisters who love caring for babies. Marooned on an island while enroute to join their father in Australia, the girls are quite suddenly permanently baby-sitting four babies all on their own, with all the perils and misadventures that can occur to anyone in such a situation. How they manage to survive is both fun and charming in this whimsical and engaging story. As a little girl, I found the story encouraging and inspiring, even though I knew it was not a real situation. The girls "keep your chin up" attitude, and genuine capability, is an excellent lesson for all. This is a book that not only children, but their parents as well can enjoy.

I am delighted to see that this well-remembered childhood favourite is in print. I am of a generation where adolescent girls were very likely to be caring for babies, and "little mother" Mary and resourceful Jean are delightful characters.This is by no means an "adventure" story, where danger lurks and survival requires hardihood - and that is why it is such relaxing entertainment. It is a bit of a spoof, obviously, in that solutions to every problem appear by magic; Jean, sad at losing her one silk dress, is comforted by Mary's picturing how sweet a baby whale would look in it; Mr Peterkin is all but a storybook character; the girls are never troubled by the memory of a shipwreck in which many may have died (the calm Mary merely says to the crew, "Will you please save us?")It is an imaginative and fun book, half the fantasy of a magical world where whatever one needs appears on the spot, the other a warm look at responsibility and ingenuity.

I read this book in 1977 and it is still one of my all-time favorite books. I even talked all of my friends in my second-grade class into reading it, and now I am going to buy myself a copy and a copy for the child of a friend. Mary and Jean are excellent role-models for girls (and boys)-brave, intelligent, resourceful, compassionate. A must-have for a complete childhood collection.

I actually got chills when I saw that this book is still available. Read it more than 20 years ago and I loved it. Being an only child, the baby caretaking aspect really moved me. I am so happy to relive its' wonder and have the ability to share it with my children.