babies

If I had to choose just one picture book that epitomizes the theme of “Comfort and Joy,” it would be Babyberry Pie by Heather Vogel Frederick and Amy Schwartz (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010).

We’ve already established that babies are the ultimate bundles of joy, and that pie is the friendliest and most satisfying of comfort foods. Combine the two in a cozy story featuring mama, papa, and an impish baby, and you’ll wanna hug and kiss yourself all over, it’s just so deliciously adorable.

The making of a babyberry pie is actually a playful bedtime ritual:

When the moon goes dancing
Across the starry sky,
It’s time to bring the baby in
For babyberry pie!

First you pluck a baby
From the babyberry tree —
One who’s sweet,
A cuddly treat —
And bring him home to me.

The parents first pop the wee one into the tub, where he’s given a nice scrub and rub-a-dub-dub, which sets him to laughing amongst the toys and bubbles. But watch that little tyke — when his mom tries to towel him off, he makes a run for it, and has a messy encounter with a freshly baked pie cooling on the windowsill. That “little giggleberry, wiggleberry one” is finally caught, and it’s back into the tub for another scrub. Then he’s powdered from head to toe — “sugar” on his belly button, nose, fingertips and toes, and finally tucked into his warm “piecrust” (pillows and quilts) with a kiss goodnight. So sweet!

Heather’s rhyming text is pitch perfect in its musicality, as it bounces along with a sprinkling of wordplay and giggle-inducing terms of endearment (“sillyberry,” “messyberry”). Amy’s pen-and-ink and gouache illos, with their clean lines, round cuddly shapes, and tiny homespun patterns, amplify the love and joy. The predominantly lavender, blue, and purple palette reinforces the berry pie theme, making this charming visual feast even tastier. Babyberry Pie is a breath of fresh air and sheer delight; you can almost smell that freshly powdered baby with his smooth soft skin, hear his unrestrained giggling, and swear you’ve never seen a cuter pie.

In a summer 2010 blog post, Heather mentions how she got the idea for this book. One of her favorite things to do in July is visit her favorite berry farm to pick loganberries, boysenberries, raspberries and marionberries, among others:

Writers fool around with words in their heads a lot (if you ever notice a vacant expression on our faces, that’s what we’re doing), and that day I got to noodling around with the word “boysenberry” while my hands were busy picking. Wouldn’t it be funny if there were girlsenberries? I thought. Which of course led to, And wouldn’t it be funny if you could pick babyberries? That was it, I was off and running, and voila! Babyberry Pie was born.

This good time, goodnight recipe was born to be read aloud and will surely inspire many more babyberry pies as a fun, loving prelude to dreamland. Highly recommended! *claps hands*

BABYBERRY PIE
by Heather Vogel Frederick
illustrated by Amy Schwartz
published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 2010
Full color picture book for ages 4-8, 32 pp.
Cool themes: Bedtime, families, babies, humor.

♥ In 2010, Heather ran a special series on her blog, “Pie of the Month Club,” to celebrate the publication of her two pie-related books — Babyberry Pie and Pies & Prejudice, the 4th installment in her popular Mother-Daughter Book Club Series. She interviewed eleven friends and colleagues, featured their new books, and asked them to share a favorite pie recipe. Ooh-la-la! Think Cynthia Leitich Smith, Lisa Schroeder, and Toni Buzzeo, among others, and such deliciousness as Rhubarb Custard, Melt-in-Your Mouth Apple, Blueberry, Southern Pecan, and Apricot pies! Well worth a taste, if you haven’t already sampled. ☺

♥ Naturally, Heather interviewed Amy, who talked about illustrating Babyberry Pie, and she shared her mother’s recipe for Strawberry Chiffon Pie. Yum!

Have some boysenberry pie before you go!

We’ve got a special delivery today courtesy of the stork.

Yes, they’re here — lots of freshly-powdered, cooing, wriggling bundles of joy — just what we need to cheer us up in the depths of winter. Who doesn’t love chubby, dimpled hands and feet, the sweet smell of a baby’s head, the sound of little burps and giggles?

Babies are indeed a popular subject when it comes to picture books. A quick check at my local library revealed eight excellent titles published in 2010 alone, three of them about wanting a baby brother (what’s so bad about baby sisters, anyway?). I also reread a few of the classics, like Julius, The Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes, and Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers and Marla Frazee. Henkes’s book is long by today’s standards, but boy, does it hold up well against all competition. He really nailed the sibling rivalry/jealousy thing with emotions that ring so, so true. But then, Kevin Henkes is quite a genius.

I love the way Marla Frazee draws babies. She’s done quite a few baby-themed books; besides Everywhere Babies, there’s Walk On!: A Guide for Babies of All Ages, New Baby Train, Hush, Little Baby, and last year’s brilliant The Boss Baby. Marla’s babies are never bland or stereotypical; even a quick glance through Everywhere Babies will make you feel all cuddly and ready to tickle somebody’s bottom. You even kind of wish one of the little cutie pies would crawl into your life right now.

Wait, look who’s here! Our great-nephew Charlie, the cutest baby we know and already an avid book lover. Since he’s going to have a brand new baby brother soon, I imagine he’ll appreciate some of today’s stories ☺.