Babyberry Pie

Babyberry Pie. Heather Vogel Frederick. Illustrated by Amy Schwartz. 2010. October 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages.

When the moon goes dancing
Across the starry sky,
It's time to bring the baby in
For babyberry pie!
First you pick a baby
From the babyberry tree--
One who's sweet,
A cuddly treat--
And bring him home to me.

Babyberry Pie is a sweet, playful bedtime book. It rhymes. And while I wouldn't say it's the best rhyming book I've ever read, it certainly works well enough. My favorite part of the story is the middle--after bathtime--when it's:

Sugar for his bellybutton!
Sugar for his nose!
Sugar for his fingertips!
And sugar for his toes!

But while I found it cute in some places, I didn't like the "pie crust", where the parents pile quilts and pillows high in the crib to tuck baby into. Yes, it makes a cute "pie" and fits the imagery that the author was going for. But babies aren't supposed to sleep with pillows or blankets.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers