I Am a Baby
Age 3+
Picture Storybooks
A hilariously deadpan look at new parenthood – from a baby’s point of view.
I am not sleepy.
I am not sleepy because I am a baby.
Mummy is sleepy.
Mummy is sleepy because I am a baby.
With humour and sympathy, Bob Shea looks at the chaos of life with a baby as amiably narrated by the new arrival. Repeating the mantra (and blithe explanation) “because I am a baby,” the tiny narrator leads us through scenes of exhaustion, grumpiness, squishy nappies, spilled milk, cowering kittens and chubby overfed pups (oopsie!). Playing against the simple, matter-of-fact text are freewheeling illustrations of mess and mayhem, in which the grown-ups’ exaggerated body language is sure to send older children into fits of giggles. With its endearing, unabashedly self-pleased star, I Am a Baby will find a place at showers, in nurseries, on parents’ shelves and in the hands of appreciative big siblings, as it celebrates the changes a little one brings, at once challenging and full of love.
Creators
Bob Shea is the author, illustrator, or author-illustrator of many well-loved picture books and chapter books, including the Ballet Cat and Dinosaur vs. series as well as Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great; Unicorn Is Maybe Not So Great After All; Crash, Splash, Moo!; and Who Wet My Pants?, which was illustrated by Zacharia OHora. Bob Shea’s characters and animations have appeared on Nick Jr., Playhouse Disney, and PBS KIDS.
Reviews
Bob Shea’s I Am a Baby is a genuinely funny look at new parenthood through the blithely unaware (but extremely pleased with themselves) perspective of a newborn baby. Hilariously deadpan, this is perfect for someone who’s already run the first-time parenting gauntlet to share with someone still in the trenches.
Readings
