*I Kissed the Baby! by Mary Murphy

I Kissed the Baby! is a sweet board book perfect for those first few months.

*I Kissed the Baby! by Mary Murphy. Candlewick, 2004. 24 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, ages 0-4
• Recommended For: Ages 0-4

Everyone is excited about the new baby and the joy is contagious as a fish, bird, squirrel, frog, and insect share with one another how they saw, fed, tickled, and kissed the baby. Each interaction follows the pattern of “I _______ the baby! Did you _____ the baby?” “Yes, I ________ the baby, what a __________!” The last question is asked of the mother. Did she kiss her baby? Yes, of course she kissed her baby, and she’s going to do it again.

The illustrations are rough-edged, primarily black and white with a little pink and yellow, which is perfect for babies whose eyes are still learning to focus. The rhythm and pattern of the text feels like a nursery rhyme that invites play and intimacy. Because the book ends with a kiss, you can’t get tired of reading it again.

*indicates a Redeemed Reader starred review, an outstanding example in its field.

Considerations: none

Bottom Line: A perfect baby gift that can tucks easily into a diaper bag.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Reviews: More picture books for the very young include Mockingbird by Allan Ahlberg, Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak, and Hello, Ninja by N. D. Wilson.
• Book Reviews: Christian publishers are producing quality board books for young children now, too! We love the Baby Believer series by Danielle Hitchen and the Tiny Hands series from Crossway.
• A Refection: We’re privileged to have a collection of blog posts from the late Gladys Hunt here on Redeemed Reader. We call that collection The Hive; one that relates to this charming board book is “Gladys Hunt on Simplicity.”

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