THAT'S FOR BABIES

Someone is in a hurry to grow
up—until she isn’t.

On Prunella’s birthday she decides
that she is “a BIG kid now” and proceeds to reject all manner of items and
activities she decides she’s outgrown. “That’s for babies!” Pru repeatedly
declares, even discarding “her favorite doll, Talking Sally…in a box of old
toys.” The depiction of the doll makes it seem like a sentient, oddly small
person, lending a perhaps unintentionally creepy feeling to the story as Pru
begins to regret her rejection of Sally when she gets bored after spurning many
opportunities for fun, including a tea party that Talking Sally suggests from
the toy box. Then nighttime comes, and with it a lightning storm. Frightened
Pru retrieves Sally from the box of toys, asking “Sally, are you scared in
there?” And then she reassures the doll, “Don’t be scared! I’m here!” Seeking
additional reassurance for herself, Pru ends up in her parents’ bed, and then
throughout the following day she happily plays with Sally, embracing activities
she’d previously eschewed and acknowledging that seeking comfort is both “for
babies…and big kids like me!” Pru
and her family present white, as does Sally, and all display snub noses that
give them a piglike air. While eagerness to grow up is common in children, both
text and art fail to create a compelling story around this feeling.

Not for us. (Picture book. 3-5)