Here Babies, There Babies in Summer

In Here Babies, There Babies in Summer, a companion board book to Here Babies, There Babies, Nancy Cohen, a former children’s librarian at the Moncton Public Library in New Brunswick, employs a brief rhyming text to capture the many places that babies and their caregivers might be found during the warm days of summer and the various activities in which they could be engaged. Parks provide opportunities for walks, picnicking and kite flying while beaches offer water splashing and sand castle building times. Babies fly at the playground as parents push them on swings. Splash pads and pools allow babies to cool off from the summer heat while an ice cream stand delivers a sweeter means of cooling. And all of this activity can lead to only one result - “Night, night. Sleep tight!”

The illustrator, Carmen Mok, utilizes a cartoon style and includes just enough details in her art work to keep the book’s intended young audience visually engaged on a first reading while simultaneously inviting them to return to examine the illustrations further. Mok’s children and adults are multi-racial, and males are shown in caregiving roles.

Overall, the text and illustrations of Here Babies, There Babies in Summer present a fun, loving and supportive portrayal of babies’ summers, making the board book a worthy addition to home and institutional collections.