Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of an infant is really like? In this bluesy story, sometimes being a baby is enough to make you cry. Oh, baby, wouldn’t it be grand to be a baby? No worries, no woes, the whole world doing everything for you. Like floating down easy street. . . . But wait one guitar-pickin’ minute. That’s a lie! Babies can’t talk, can’t walk, can’t even really chew. It’s enough to make the baby in this story blue, blue, blue. So get ready for a sad tale of soggy diapers, mushy meals, and sleepin’ behind bars that may make you cry, too — but more likely will make you giggle! Jamming with illustrator Lauren Tobia, Carol Diggory Shields gives a tip of the fedora to B.B. King in an ode to babyhood that’ll have readers feeling anything but blue. K-Gr 2—"You think babies have it easy?" Not according to the tiny narrator who relates the trials and tribulations of being a helpless babe. When the little one wakes up soggy, there's "no way to say,/'Won't somebody change my diaper?'" When confronted with an enticing spread of pizza, macaroni, and stew, all that baby can eat is strained green goop because "I can't even chew." Baby can't run and jump with the older kids and resents spending time in its crib-"or is it jail?" Each of these complaints culminates in a heartrending blues refrain tailored to the situation. Wet-soaked baby sings, "B-A-B-Y,/ baby,/Got those damp old baby blues." Orange-sleeper-clad infant hangs forlornly over the crib bars whining, "B-A-B-Y,/baby,/Got those locked-up/baby blues." No need to feel sorry for this baby. While the guitars in some of the large illustrations rendered in ink and pencil and assembled digitally reinforce the blues theme, the pictures also reveal an attentive mom and an older sister happily looking on. Mom scoops baby out of the crib "with a 'Kitchy-kitchy-koo!' B-A-B-Y, baby,/Don't you know/we all love you?" This is a story that will enable slightly older children to look back and reminisce about bygone days.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT Oh baby! It’s not easy being an infant. Shields explains all in a text that reads so bluesy, you could almost sing it: I’d like to eat some pizza, / Macaroni, or beef stew, / But I haven’t got a single tooth, / So I can’t even chew. The amusing text is ramped up several notches by Tobia’s terrific artwork. Reminiscent of Bob Graham’s art (with realistic characters like the tattooed mom) and in a style resembling Helen Oxenbury’s, especially in the look of the children, the pictures are, nonetheless, all her own. Whether full page or vignettes, the delightful pen-and-watercolor artwork focuses in on Baby, who is down in the dumps because he needs a diaper change or has to be a spectator as the older kids play ball. Her neat use of perspective and friendly scenes of family and neighborhood, done in lively colors, with lots of reds and greens and plenty of open space, bring readers right into the story. Finally, the baby blues are drowned in hugs and kisses. What could be happier than that? Preschool. --Ilene Cooper Shields and Tobia bring an earthy, hip sensibility to these faux-plaintive lyrics sung by a baby with a bad case of the blues. ... Mom has a snaky tattoo; neighbors are as diverse as New York City; and just like babies everywhere, this one cheers up the minute he gets a cuddle. —The New York Times The brilliant incongruity of a baby and blues music (usually featuring soured romance, bum luck and booze) hits all the right comedic notes. Baby’s refrain, repeated after each demoralizing episode, howls out for a singalong: " B-A-B-Y, baby, Got those…baby blues ." Tobia’s pen-and-ink illustrations beg for repeat visits too, with their refreshing portrayal of a bustling urban family. ... Eye-squinting details (polka dots on the underside of a stuffed bunny’s ears, a paisley pattern on a blanket, etc.) and vivid colors energize these wonderfully ordinary scenes of moms and small children. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) This portrait of a very modern family — with its skillfully distilled domestic scenes; warm, saturated colors; and empathic, round-headed characters — will remind some of the work of Helen Oxenbury. Best of all, the text is eminently singable by anyone with even a passing familiarity with Muddy Waters; it could quickly become an all-ages anthem for anyone connected to a newborn. —Publishers Weekly (starred review) The amusing text is ramped up several notches by Tobia’s terrific artwork. ... Whether full page or vignettes, the delightful pen-and-watercolor artwork focuses in on baby, who is down in the dumps because he needs a diaper change or has to be a spectator as the older kids play ball. ... Finally, the baby blues are drowned in hugs and kisses. What could be happier than that? —Booklist The text follows the classic bluesy form, including a classic chorus (“B-A-B-Y, baby”), and it’s both funny and accurate in the details of infant frustrati