Busy Babies

“[C]heerful, funny . . . Perfect balance of text to art . . .”

Busy Babies by the talented Amy Schwartz is the perfect book to read to a baby or an older sibling. Each page features clear white space to frame the colorful spot illustrations of babies exploring the world in the many ways babies do. The text is spare, rhyming enough to create a rhythm but not so much as to become sing-songy, weaving a story of busy babies “banging pots and pans” or “saying 'hi!'”

The babies are really toddlers, busy both inside the house and outside, making friends, messes, and art. A wide range of families and children are shown, all colorfully dressed and eager to have adventures. Child readers will recognize the moments shown in these pages—they have done all these baby things and will be happy to see their discoveries reflected in a book.

Schwartz is a master of cheerful, funny books that speak directly to the child reader. Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner and Omo and Bobo are classics, still in print to delight readers for decades. Every parent should have a library of Amy Schwartz books to share with their young children. Each one features the perfect balance of text to art, spare stories with warmth and endearing illustrations.