This Is the Baby

The reviews above indicate that the technical name for the book's rhyming format is a "cumulative poem." As a mother layers dresses her tiny toddler daughter in cold weather clothes, each preceding layer is included in succeeding rhymes (as done in the poem, "This is the House That Jack Built.)" Starting with the declarative "THIS IS THE BABY who hates to be dressed," an incredibly patient mother battles an uncooperative child and a well-meaning but obstructive dog on each page. Just four layers in, and the rhyme has recursively built itself into the following: These are the jeans, stiff in the knee, that match the sweater, itchy and hot, that covers the T-shirt, wrinkled a lot, that snaps over the diaper, often a mess, that goes on the baby who hates to be dressed. The cover illustration captures the girl's strong resistance, and author Candace Fleming's text describes the uncomfortable sensation of some clothes, a discomfort of which some adults may not be aware. There's a lot of fun here for toddlers old enough to recognize themselves among those who'd rather not put on all those layers of "itchy," "stiff," "pinchy," clothes. Every so often, a layer gets a "No! No! Nooo!" reaction, and the coup de grace occurs when the girl strips off every layer of clothing until she is completely naked again, and shouts, with a huge smile: "Yes! Yes! Yes!" At this nudist conclusion, even the mother is smiling, and the book nicely portrays both competing points of view of mother and child. This, of course, is an idealized version of such conflicts, but with the right child, it may give both parties an opportunity to recognize themselves and laugh. For other adults, however, it may remind them of clashes that are much more fractious then this one. One other warning should be mentioned. I wonder whether tired adults are really going to enjoy repeatedly reading the cumulative rhyme to their young audience. That's the downside here, if your youngster really loves the book, you're may become as tired as the mother pictured here, and not be as cheerfully patient about it as she. The clothes' appealing patterns and textures, and the two characters' facial expressions highlight the colorful antics. If only the publishers had chosen thicker paper, a larger format book size, or both, "This is the Baby" would have been more enjoyable.