Up! How families around the world carry their little ones

Have you ever wondered how families carry their precious children as they go about their daily duties on the other side of the planet? This book shows examples of how babies are carried in many parts of the globe, from tucked into a woman's shawl, bouncing past alpacas in Peru, and nestled in a grandmother's parka while crossing the tundra in Canada's Far North, to cuddled in a woman's sling in an Indian fruit market and sitting in baskets hung from shoulder poles next to fields in China. The book makes a clear and pointed effort to promote all kinds of diversity and depict a variety of cultures in a beautiful and respectful light; however, while the racial and geographical elements are wonderfully executed, the story itself might have benefited from less generic language. Regardless, the concept is very clever, and the three-dimensional cut-paper collage work is exquisitely textured and boldly colored. Barron's past awards are clearly warranted.--Worthington, Becca Copyright 2017 Booklist

Toddler-PreS-Whether bouncing on a brother's hip or nestled in an auntie's sling, babies around the world are carried safe and snug. In this picture book ode to familial love, Barron's cut-paper collage illustrations depict a diverse array of family members caring for babies throughout the day. An African mother cradles her infant in her arms while dropping off an older child at school; in a high-rise city apartment, a father in a wheelchair holds his son close; two babies swing gently in baskets as their uncle conveys them across a rice paddy; and on a sunny beach, a biracial family plays in the sand. Hughes's buoyant text works well for reading aloud. Each spread incorporates the refrain "Upsy-daisy," addresses the baby directly, and clearly identifies the family member portrayed. The vibrant background settings are not identified specifically but are clearly international and present day. A First Nations grandmother in a northern snowscape wears eyeglasses and a barrette along with her parka, and her village contains modern buildings, with nary an igloo in sight. Busy market scenes in Southeast Asia and the Middle East include cars as well as animal carts and people in both traditional and contemporary clothing. The exceptional depth, texture, and movement of Barron's paper art provide plenty of visual interest to engage young audiences. VERDICT Detailed illustrations of realistically diverse families elevate a simple concept. Ideal for sharing one-on-one with toddlers and preschoolers.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Diverse caregivers and babies populate this picture-book depiction of caring and carrying.Inclusivity is a hallmark of this book, but it stumbles a bit at the outset by naming two regions alongside nations: "From West Africa to Peru, from Egypt to Canada's Far North, from Korea to India, from Poland to China and Afghanistanfamilies carry their babies in many different ways." Why not name a specific West African nation or culture? A specific Arctic people? Nevertheless, depictions of families in those places and in that order use detailed, striking cut-paper collages to consciously highlight and value diversity. For example, girls and women wear the hijab on the spreads for Egypt and Afghanistan, and the depicted Korean father uses a wheelchair while wearing his baby on his chest in a carrier. Some spreads are less invested in culturally specific modes than are others. The mother in West Africa, for example, simply carries her baby in her arms, and the Egyptian brother carries his baby sibling on his hip. Others, like what seems to be a depiction of an Inuit amauti in the North Canada spread, are culturally grounded. Repetition of the phrase "upsy-daisy, baby" threads through all interactions, culminating in a scene with a loving multiracial family in an unspecified waterside setting, where a sister picks up her baby sibling. A celebration of baby love as it's carried out all over the world. (Picture book. 2-4) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.