Brandon and the Baby
by Brian Pinkney; illus. by the author
Preschool    Greenwillow    40 pp.
6/24    9780063159846    $19.99

“Brandon had a special plaid blanket. He also had a new baby brother.” His parents are entirely preoccupied with the baby, and big brother feels neglected. He kicks up a fuss at suppertime (“Mommy, I do not want to eat in the big-boy chair anymore”), bathtime, and bedtime. Fortunately, his beloved blanket, in a swirly mix of lilacs and blues, comes to the rescue, transforming into a series of animals (Toucan, Sea Lion, Owl) to distract and entertain him. Soon his blanket captivates not only Brandon but also his brother, and Brandon is too busy and happy to feel left out. Then comes one naptime when Baby doesn’t want to be alone and cries inconsolably. Fortunately, Brandon knows what to do. He enlists not only his own plaid blanket but Baby’s —also plaid, but in yellows and pinks—as well to help, and the two blankets transform into Owl and Little Owl to watch over a now-comforted and ­snoozing Baby. “Brandon loved his special plaid blanket. As for his baby brother? Brandon loved him, too.” The situation is of course hugely relatable, and readers and listeners will be drawn in further by the liberal sprinkling of chantable sounds (“Swish, snap, splash!”) throughout the text. Pinkney’s signature art, created with India ink, opaque watercolors, and acrylics, is all movement and swooping lines and adds even more energy and ­dynamism.

From the ">September/October 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.