I'm Not a Baby

Young Leo Letardi's family had always considered him the baby, from the time he actually was a baby, and needed the care of Nanny Fanni, to his graduation from high school, and on into his adulthood. Nothing he did or said seemed to change their perception of him, or make them stop referring to him as a 'baby.' Until, that is, Leo himself had a baby...

I vacillated between a two and three star rating with Jill McElmurry's I'm NOT a Baby! - a quirky picture-book examination of the life of the youngest child, in an Edwardian family - but eventually decided upon three, as I think young readers will be able to identify with Leo's frustrations at his family's inability to see that he is growing up. For my own part, I wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but somehow the magic just wasn't there for me. ( )

Decent drawings, but the story is a bit disturbing, or at the very least awkward and unpleasant. Kids can relate to being treated like a baby when they feel they've outgrown babyhood, but having a grown man dress like and be treated like a baby does not make a fun book. ( )

This book is an excellent book to use for kids to help them relate the the idea of "labels" in school and at home. The book opens as toddler Leo climbs from his bassinet and asks for waffles, only to be sternly declined and presented with porridge. Later events show him in infants' togs and enduring cooing remarks ("What a clever baby!") even as he attends school, gives a graduation speech, and starts his first job. McElmurry adds surreal touches to the ornate, period settings that suit the farce: odd colors dominate (pea green, salmon pink); word-bubbles introduce a comic-book informality into the stately compositions; and occasional, anachronistic elements appear, such as one character's high-top sneakers. Children will be deeply amused by the premise, and wholly sympathetic to the frustrations of being labeled, patronized, or willfully misunderstood.