How sweet are babies? This book has some of the cutest, sweetest pictures of babies, as well as the origins and meanings of some of the most well know baby-related traditions and saying. (Why do we dress boys in blue and girls in pink?). I highly recommend this to anyone who regularly needs a “baby fix.” ( )

I enjoyed these beautiful photos of babies. This book is a keeper.

I was a little disappointed in this book as I found it far too 'pretty' and repetitive. The pictures were beautiful but far too similar and the facts and quotes were tantalisingly brief. I would have preferred far more writing with smaller pictures so that I could have found out more about baby customs throughout the world.
The lists of the most popular boy's and girl's names were not in my copy but there were two blank pages so perhaps they should have appeared there. I am sure this book will appeal to lots of other people, especially new mothers, but it was not for me. ( )

A little gooey for me, but many of the ladies in my life pored over it enthusiastically! Beautifully put together and a great gift for the right person. ( )

A beautiful book of adorable baby photos, lovely sayings, and fun facts. A keeper for anyone who's a fan of babies, art and books. ( )

To be honest, the book isn't to my taste. This doesn't mean that it isn't adorable, nor packed to the brim with adorable baby photos and titbits of baby lore. I think that any pregnant woman or recent mother will adore this book. It's well-executed and beautifully presented. However, I did find some of the photos repetitive, but then again, I suppose that there are only so many ways in which to photograph babies. But Rachel Hale does a good job of it. ( )

I was excited to receive this book and really enjoy looking at it. I think the pictures are great!! There is one odd picture of the 2 babies in the box, their heads don't look like they match their bodies, but hey, some of my pictures look like that too! I hope to have my own midwifery office someday soon and will add this to my collection of favorite books on display. Right now, it is in an honored place in my shared office for lactation consulting...babies, babies, babies and it fits right in! It is a beautifully done book! ( )

I liked this book somewhat. It's beautiful, funny and interesting. Yet I do not find it sufficiently interesting to want to keep it and look at it again. Like tuftytwo, I found it too pretty-pretty and the pictures got fairly monotonous. It would have been nice to have babies of different ages and sizes but these are all very similar, and there was little information. Some story to go with it would have been good! ( )

I just love Rachael Hale's photography. Whether it's her more typical animal subject matter or the infants in her newest book, Baby Love, she finds a way to capture those magical moments on camera. The clean design that is the hallmark of Hale's photography books - striking uncluttered images, simple fonts for the connected text - make them great coffee table books. It's easy pick this one up and flip to any page for a quick peak, but I'll warn you, you will soon find yourself flipping through all the adorable faces. From pensive to slumbering, curious to joyful, these babies will having you grinning in no time.

My personal favorites:
p. 21 - being a bit camera-shy myself, I feel a certain kinship with Samuel
p. 27 - Amelia, very up close and personal. I defy you not to smile.
p. 60-61 - Sebastian delighted by his own reflection
p. 68-69 - There's something almost haunting about this series of Rebecca. Quite possible the most beautiful baby pictures I've ever seen.
p. 96 - Kingston, well Kingston's bum and toes. With the accompanying "Little Piggy" rhyme, it's just perfect.
p. 117 - Mclane has such big eyes and pouty lips. Just a great face.
p. 125 - I can't see this picture of Max without cracking up. He reminds me of a mini Danny Devito.
p. 151 - Just a beautifully composed picture of Trevor's feet ( )

I've received some great books from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program, but this is the first one I haven't been willing to pass on -- it's just too beautiful to let go. Rachael Hale's lovely portfolio of babies doesn't feature them as creatures or plants like Anne Geddes, but simply captures them in all their chubby, cheerful joy. Included are baby-oriented quotes (my favorites are from Charles Osgood & Teresa Morrison), nursery rhymes, tips (swaddling, bath games, folding a cloth diaper) and worldwide traditions. A wonderful book that will banish gloom & gladden the coldest heart. ( )

This book was a wonderfully unexpected surprise! I am not a huge fan of babies in general but I could not deny the cuteness and guile of those in this book! I really appreciated the format of this book because the author and illustrator separated the pictures with bits of poetry which was refreshing. Some images were also done in a fold out size. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family. ( )

My book review:
http://ganimede.dreamwidth.org/12672.... ( )

I loved this book - who couldn't love gorgeous photos of babies doing what they do best - looking absolutely adorable. What sweet close-ups! I fell in love with all the babies within the pages of this book. Perfect gift for the mom or grandma to be. ( )

Photography, quotes, poems and babies…!! What a lovely coffee-table book this turned out to be.

Filled with precious cherubs captured in cute settings and with gorgeous light, Baby love : an affectionate miscellany by Rachael Hale is full of inspiration for new parents and grandparents alike.

Sure does make you want to get your own camera out and try your luck making photos like these of your special little one. ABC’s Good Morning America recently featured Rachael Hale and Baby Love where Hale offered tips for doing just that!

Well-known for her bestselling animal portraits, Hale’s previous books — which include 101 Salivations, 101 Cataclysms, It’s a Zoo Out There, Smitten, Snog, and Dogs: 101 Adorable Breeds, have sold millions of copies in 11 languages. She has been designated as a Master of Photography at the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography Awards

Baby love : an affectionate miscellany by Rachael Hale is published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

http://circulating.wordpress.com/2008... ( )

A multitude of faces, a multitude of emotions. Being a parent myself, a multitude of memories also washed over me while going through this book! Plus, watching my 16-month daughter giggle and try to grab the pages as we flipped through it together also made for a very nice experience.

The photography itself was excellent (and I must admit to having spent some time trying to look into the subjects' eyes to see what reflected therein) and the babies were of varying degrees of cuteness. I was expecting more "awww" moments, however, or perhaps not always close-up shots.

For example, I loved the note about the origins of "Cradle" and thought how beautiful it would have been to actually see a photograph of a baby, asleep in a hand-made cradle, swinging peacefully from a tree. ( )

This book is delightfully adorable! I love the many smiley, laughing babies, especially when you know they aren't laughing at what we as adults find funny yet but what ever is going on in their little minds at the time....way too cute! ( )

I am an artist and found this book to be great reference material. The expressions caught and the colors used are beautiful. I also liked the addition of bits of information and quotes.

Baby Love: an Affectionate Miscellany, by Rachael Hale is an absolutely gorgeous series of photographs. The portraits are paired with a combination of quotes, expressions, history, and more, all adding value to an already wonderful book. What strikes me about the photographs is how beautifully Rachael Hale captured the eyes of each child. There is so much life and emotion and expression, which encapsulate the magic of children perfectly. This is a very impressive work for her first book of baby pictures, but I hope she continues because the portraits are just lovely. It will make a perfect gift for any soon-to-be mother, and I look forward to passing this book along to share its joy. ( )

This book was a treat to read. The photography is beautiful and the poems and quotes are a lovely touch. A great gift idea for new parents, Baby Love is a celebration of the wonder of new life. ( )

Who doesn't love babies? Well, I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't like babies but this book may have them changing their minds. While Hale couldn't have chosen a more photographed subject, she manages to catch expressions and brings the images to life. Some of the images are a bit more whimsical than I like, some using an over abundance of flowers and a few strange images of babies holding fruit that threw more for a loop, but the majority of images are amazing. I can actually hear the babies laughing and there's nothing in the world better than a sleeping baby, images of which are abundant in this book. In addition to images, there are brief facts about lullabies, traditions about caring for and naming babies from around the world and quotes and poems about babies and children. Highly recommended for display at any baby shower or just for gazing at and sighing, something I will be doing for months to come. ( )

If you love babies you'll love Baby Love: An Affectionate Miscellany, by Rachael Hale. A collection of photographs that will have you smile from page to page - enhanced by small tid-bits, poems, rhymes etc. The perfect gift for soon to be parents or grandparents.

Every page is an experience in the making.
Hale does a wonderful job capturing the moment - those expressions that every parent gets to see, but doesn't have the time, knack, or luck to get of their own baby.
( )

It is hard to believe that this is Rachel Hale's first foray into the world of baby photography, I guess she must have learned something from working with all those cats and dogs! This book is a delightful look at babies ages 2 1/2 weeks up to one year, concentrating primarily on expressions instead of props.

Interspersed with the photographs are tidbits of baby tribute ranging from a rendition of "ring around the rosie" to the proper folding technique of cloth diapers. Although definitely a far cry from a "how to raise baby" guide I still think it would appeal to mothers-to-be and would make a great shower gift or a great gift for anyone who adores babies.

As a newbie to babyography Ms. Hale has shown an adept eye for catching babes at their most innocently adorable moments and this would be a delightful addition to any library or coffee table. ( )

Whether you have a little bundle of joy yourself or not...the photos in this book will invoke in you the widest smile you have had all year...great gift for an expecting mother...tons of great ideas for your own photos...I mother-to-be must have! ( )

A very pleasing collection of delightful baby photos, with a small scattering of baby trivia, facts, nursery rhymes, etc. The babies in this volume are so sweet and tender that it brought more than one tear to the eye of this grandmother as I looked at them. Rachel Hale surely has a talent for capturing fleeting moments and leaving them frozen in time. Anyone who has ever tried to photograph infants will immediately see that this lady has a true knack for it. I thought the photos were divine and the only fault I can find with the volume at all is that the text was a bit skimpy. This is eye candy. ( )

I found this book is be beautiful and insightful at the same time. The photographs went so well with the snippets and quotations that filled the book along side them. Looking forward to more by this amazing lady. ( )