No Room for Baby!

July 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-A young penguin, Leon, welcomes home his new baby brother, Marcel. Leon worries that there is no room for the new baby in his room, on his mother's lap, or in his parents' arms. Ultimately, he decides that his own arms are the perfect size to snuggle baby Marcel. The artwork is rendered in pencil, crayon, and oil. The simple style and limited palette are well suited to addressing the often stressful transition of bringing a new baby into the family. Soft lines and the use of white space help create a controlled and secure setting. The story is straightforward, and the illustrations are minimalist, with some texture to enliven the characters. VERDICT Parents, especially those anticipating a new baby in the household, will appreciate this sweetly humorous read-aloud. Early elementary students could also read this tale on their own.-Kelly Topita, Anne Arundel County Public Library, MD

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2017
Leon is sure there's no room for his new baby brother, Marcel, outside of his crib until he finds just the right spot.This new-baby story features a family of anthropomorphic penguins who, despite their presumed Antarctic origins, live in a remarkably spacious cartoon-style igloo outfitted with chairs, beds, curtained windows, and a crib for Marcel. New big brother Leon asks his mother hopefully if Marcel will always stay in his crib. When she smilingly replies in the negative, he tries to make the case that there's simply no room for the baby in his own bedroom, on her lap, or up high on his father's shoulders. But when Marcel begins to cry, Leon suddenly announces that there is room enough for the baby in his own arms, and he snuggles him close in a sudden surge of brotherly affection. This happy resolution seems rather abrupt, but the sparseness of the storyline is matched by the clean aesthetic of the simple illustrations, created with black pencil crayons and oils in a limited color palette. The penguins look like black potatoes with pipestem feet, wings, and white, rosy-cheeked faces with tiny yellow beaks. A simple, positive new-baby book. (Picture book. 2-5)

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January 1, 2018
In this French import, penguin Leon worries that there's no room in their family for new brother Marcel: Mama's lap is too small and Daddy's shoulders are too high. Finally, Leon declares that Marcel best fits "in �cf2]my�cf1] arms... They are just the right size to snuggle a baby penguin!" The soft, spare illustrations emphasize Leon's initial anxiety and subsequent happiness about the new addition.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)