Tama and Baby

Doi (the Chirri & Chirra series) charts a gentle course in this developmentally interested picture book portrait of a deepening interspecies bond. When an infant arrives at feline Tama’s house, the white cat has never before encountered a human newborn. First impressions suggest that “babies are so quiet. All they do is sleep.” But extensive cries soon keep the kitty up at night. When Baby again starts fussing, Tama climbs up on the crib and taps the mobile, revealing a new facet of the child: “Babies can be sweet sometimes.” Vignetted illustrations floating in white space evoke a mid-century aesthetic with pencil-like linework, minimal but evocative details, and spot colors (the cat’s red ribbon, the infant’s rosy cheeks and yellow sleepsuit), lending warmth and intimacy as the youth, and the relationship, mature. Inevitable bumps crop up when Baby gets too rough and the two fight about a ball (“You should know better, Tama,” chides a caregiver). But as new transformations reveal babies’ propensity for growing, the cat fully leans into being “the best big sister a baby could wish for.” It’s a clear-eyed take on adjustment and a reassuring model that honors the challenges and rewards of welcoming a new family member with open paws. Characters are portrayed with dark hair; skin tones reflect the white of the page. Ages 3–5. (May)