Busy Babies

Babies and their guardians appear in eventful scenes illustrated in gouache and pen and ink, with detailed patterns and splashy colors. Schwartz depicts single or multiple scenarios per page. A child in a highchair is seen “eating peas”; another baby is supine on a pink blanket, “rattling keys”; and a third is “clapping chubby hands.” A baby sits in a shopping cart chock full of groceries “at the store,” a child in a green hoodie appears with an elderly guardian “at the seashore,” and another child makes a funny face. Several dominate their own spreads, including a busy toddler “opening kitchen cabinets” and another exploring the sculptures on display in a gallery (“going places”). Schwartz delicately captures the wonder of new experience in her spry, friendly artwork. Ages 4–8. [em](May) [/em]