The Baby on the Way - Hardcover

Grade 1-3–A boy asks his grandmother if she was ever a baby. Grandma answers yes, and that once she was even the baby on the way. The woman goes on to narrate the story of the day she was born and beyond. One day, Big Sis runs to the field to tell her father that the baby is coming. From there she runs to get Aunt Nannie and her birthin' bag full of secret things. Quall's painterly, mixed-media illustrations capture the anxious looks of the children who know that something is up, but not what. The solitary silhouette of the father pacing back and forth on the porch conveys the sense of worry, waiting, and anticipation. English incorporates old African-American practices such as the takin' up ceremonies–somethin' probably passed down from slavery times, which culminates in the naming of the baby, and the smoking of mama's clothes to help her regain her strength. When Grandma finishes her story, Jamal asks if someday, somebody will ask him if he had ever been a baby. Grandma assures him that someone probably will, and that he will then be able to tell them his story. This is a gentle, sentimental book that addresses an age-old question and the curiosity that children have about their grandparents.–Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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