For Baby, morning begins when he stands up in his crib and spots both his beloved (and still sleeping) older sister and his favorite stuffed toy, Little Hup the Hippo. Several hours later, "A drink, a cuddle, a picture book, heavy eyes and a sleepy yawn," signal the end of the a.m. hours. In between, Baby's life is an idyll of cuddles and games, which Hindley (Do Like a Duck Does!
) chronicles with an intriguing reportorial lilt ("Breakfast bowl/ and bib and cup./ A sister who hides/ to make him laugh"). The title question returns to introduce the next event on the busy schedule. There's one moment of high drama: Little Hup goes missing during playtime in the yard, but keen detective work by his big sister puts the universe to rights again, just in time for Baby's nap. Burroughes's (Tickle Monster
) watercolor-and-pencil pictures portray familiar domestic scenes, but her crisp, Helen Oxenbury–like compositions and carefully restrained colors give the vignettes subtle energy and emotional depth. The illustrator often divides an incident into comic-style frames, so that a motherly cuddle or a tussle on the grass with Baby's father takes on an almost musical phrasing. The well-honed text and art beautifully serve the very young. Ages 2-4. (July)
