Module 1 Hello Baby!

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fox, Mem. 2009. HELLO BABY! New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 416985136.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
A baby encounters a variety of young animals, including a monkey, elephant, owl and hippopotamus in search for learning more about themselves and the lively animals.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Fox’s rhyming text will be a hit with the intended toddler audience. Animals are always a popular subject and Fox creates vivid images with her use of strong of action phrases, like “twitching its nose and wielding a tusk.” Adults will also appreciate this use of advanced vocabulary because it is a nice break from picture books that only use easy reader vocabulary. This book will appeal to children across the world because of its universal topic and “feel-good” nature. Readers will delight in the ending when they realize that they are their parents’ special gift. There are no easily identifying markers that would lead a US reader to think the author was foreign. This book’s appealing format will work with all young readers and will endure the test of time.

Jenkins’ paper illustrations also enhance this book. The illustrations are large and typically cover over one page. Young children will be able to notice tiny details like the elephant’s eyelashes or the crocodile’s sharp teeth.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Starred Review. While Fox is cooing as only she can, Jenkins works his usual magic with cut paper. In many of his large-scale closeups—the images spill across and off the spreads—his subjects' big, expressive eyes seem locked in a gaze with the reader. Ingeniously stylized shapes (like the coils of gray paper that form an elephant's trunk) combine with sumptuous detailing that brings alive the parade of scales, fur and feathers. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Fox's rhyming text is pure fun. In a layout reminiscent of Bill Martin, Jr.'s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Holt, 1983), an unseen narrator says, "Hello, baby!/Who are you?" and the speculated answers range from the familiar elephant to an exotic gecko. "Are you a zebra/sipping a drink?/Perhaps you're an owl/with a wicked wink." A spread near the end of the book provides an opportunity to name the baby animals by looking at their silhouettes. Jenkins's beautifully shaded and textured collages are stand-alone works of art, each of which holds its own with Fox's engaging cadences. This collaboration results in a lovely read-aloud for preschool storytimes or a perfect selection for one-on-one sharing. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

E. CONNECTIONS
Create your own unique paper illustrations like the ones that are in the book.
Read other stories by Mem Fox, like WHERE IS THE GREEN SHEEP? and compare the similarities and differences.
Examine other books illustrated by Steve Jenkins, like WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? and compare.
Try writing in Fox’s style by using action verbs with animals.