Darling Baby

This picture book by Kalman (Bold & Brave), based on journal entries, records moments of beauty and mystery for a new grandchild, the “darling baby” of the title. “Today a thousand tiny silver fish jumped out of the water at the same time. They arced over the water and quickly dove in again, disappearing in the wet green sea.” In her signature style, Kalman paints the fish soaring like spray from a fountain. Some experiences are shared with the child: naps on a blanket, parties with “cheery cherry pie.” (A man wonders how to take the pie home: “I will put it in my hat,” he decides.) Everything is fair game, even the turtle that the narrator finds on the beach before realizing that it is dead: “One minute I was so happy. The next, so sad.” Though “darling baby” is still young (“I will carry you because you can’t walk yet”), the book hints that it is never too early to teach a child how to see, and Kalman, bringing intensely personal reflections and paintings alive in brilliant colors, assembles vignettes that represent the work of noticing: “The water has been blue and green and gray and black and pink.” Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (June) [/em]