The Baby Dances
Written by: Kathy Henderson
Illustrated by: Tony Kerins
Recommended age: 2-4
Fairmount book: $15.99

Flowers are blooming. Grass is growing. New life surrounds us at this splendid time of year. This beautiful storybook celebrates the birth and first year of a new baby’s life.

Grandma and big brother receive the good news by telephone on the first page then we see baby being cradled by her proud father in the hospital room. As the precious baby girl progresses through many milestones we are treated to adorable illustrations that really bring her to life: smiling, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing, walking, and finally dancing.

The rhythmic text makes you feel as though you are singing a lullaby while the chalk pastel illustrations are what make this a true masterpiece in the world of picture books. The baby’s fingers and facial expressions are so true to life that at times you feel as though they are photographs. In addition to the main pictures, on each page there is a smaller black and white image of the baby and her brother, which makes for interesting conversation when reading this book to a preschooler.

The final page of the story shows the baby dancing in the arms of her big brother. The pride on his face is priceless.