Pass the Baby - by Susanna Reich (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A delightful meal with a big extended family becomes a free-for-all when one particularly excitable baby joins the fun"--

Book Synopsis

A delightful meal with a big extended family becomes a free-for-all when one particularly excitable baby joins the fun.

Family dinner, set the table,
Forks and spoons and napkins too,
Knives and plates and water glasses,
Flowers, placemats, white and blue.
Wait a minute, where's the baby?
Someone's playing peek-a-boo!

What does it take to make a perfect family meal? Is it the forks, spoons, plates, and napkins? Maybe it's sister's lemonade, Papi's guacamole, or delicious meatballs and ravioli eyed by a hungry pup. When it's time to sit down and dig in, there's one thing everybody agrees they need to do, "Baby, baby, pass the baby!"

This rollicking, rhyming picture book about one (rather large) diverse family dinner table captures the buzz and hum of a shared meal, with one adorably excitable baby at its center, eager to join the fun. With Pass the Baby, author Susanna Reich imbues her text with an undercurrent of harmony, warmth and inclusivity, complimented by ebullient illustrations by Raúl Colón.

A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children's Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year

Review Quotes

★ "Adults will recognize the scenario while children delight in the baby's (mis)behavior."--Booklist, Starred Review

"Reich (Stand Up and Sing!) finds ample color, incident, and humor around the dining room table in this celebration of cooking and eating in a family in which the very youngest are cherished."--Publishers Weekly

"The strong duo of Reich and Colón bring this diverse, riotous family meal to life and will have readers asking for seconds, please."--BookPage

"This celebration of family togetherness and food is an excellent addition to any ­collection."--School Library Journal

"Reich offers up a rhythmic, rhyming celebration of family. . . [Colón's] illustrations have their own rhythm. . ."--The Horn Book

"Written in rhyme, this story captures the joy and chaos of a family dinner when one of the guests is a beloved, doted-on baby. . . . Colón's handmade illustrations give the tale a cozy feel. . . . A sweet reminder to siblings big and small that they are all important members of the family."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Susanna Reich is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. Her books include Fab Four Friends: The Boys Who Became the Beatles, and Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice. Her honors include the Rip Van Winkle Award for Outstanding Contributions to Children's Literature, Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award, International Latino Book Award, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor, ALA Notable & Best Books for Young Adults, and School Library Journal Best Books. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband, children's book author Gary Golio.

Raúl Colón is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books, including The Little House of Hope, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, which Booklist called "A valuable story about the importance of generosity and community". He also illustrated Draw!, an ALA Notable Book and recipient of the International Latino Book Award; Imagine! an ALA Notable Book, a New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, and a Bookpage Best Book; Susanna Reich's José!: Born to Dance; Angela's Christmas by Frank McCourt; and Jill Biden's Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops. Mr. Colón lived in Puerto Rico as a young boy and now resides in New City, New York, with his family.