BARBARA PARK is best known as the author of the wildly popular
New York Times bestselling Junie B. Jones series, which has kept
kids (and their grown-ups) laughing—and reading—for over two
decades. Beloved by millions, the Junie B. Jones books have been
translated into multiple languages and are a time-honored staple in
elementary school classrooms around the world. Barbara once said,
“I’ve never been sure whether Junie B.’s fans love her in spite of
her imperfections…or because of them. But either way, she’s gone
out into the world and made more friends than I ever dreamed
possible.”
Barbara Park is also the author of award-winning middle grade
novels and bestselling picture books, including Skinnybones, Mick
Harte Was Here, and Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here!
Barbara Park was born in New Jersey in 1947 and spent most of her
adult life in Arizona, where she and her husband, Richard, raised
two sons. Barbara died in 2013, but her legacy lives on in the
laughter her books give to readers all over the world.
PreS-An amusing vision of a life in utero may have trouble finding an audience. The androgynous "baby-in-waiting" is bored: "My choices are slim./There is no room to swim./I'm so tired of floating./I'd love to go boating,/But where's the canoe?/MA!/There's nothing to do!" After listing a variety of complaints, the narrator decides that it's almost "Show Time" and asks Ma if she's ready, describes some things that will occur after birth, and promises to see her and dad soon. Park's rhymes scan and read aloud well. The brightly colored illustrations start on the endpapers as the mother-shown from neck to just below her very pregnant belly-prepares the nursery. Featuring a very bald baby who is mostly head, the pictures alternate between views from inside the womb and scenes reflecting the many play fantasies listed. The large text font adds movement as it wiggles and spirals across the pages. This humorous story may work while discussing where babies come from with preschoolers or for pregnant moms to read to older siblings. However, its best audience seems to be the expectant mothers themselves, and it is likely to appeal more as a shower gift than as a children's book.-Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
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