Oscar's Half Birthday

YOU GUYS I LOVE BOB GRAHAM SO MUCH.

You see, no one can wait a full year to throw Oscar a party. It's adorable and sweet and kind of makes me teary eyed. I'm totally throwing my child a half-birthday picnic inspired by this book.

The thing I love about Bob Graham is that his families are shown in urban settings, doing things people in cities do (walking past graffiti covered bridges, looking at traffic and factories). And the parents in this one are biracial but no one makes a big deal out of it, it's just normal life (I can only think of one other picture book, The Hello Goodbye Window,like this). The illustrations are so intricate that you can spend tons of time going over details. Oh and in some of his other books the parents have show more tattoos but it also isn't a big deal.

Bob Graham is my go-to picture book author for urban hipster parents, basically. show less

I liked this book because it had such diverse characters. The mom was African American and the dad was white. I think that so many times in children's books the parents are of the same race. However, seeing how happy Oscar's parents are and how they gave him the best half-birthday ever really opens up kids minds.

Very fun story, wit ha progressive storyline that culminates in a super picknick type celebration for a half birthday. Somewhat funny in that it can entertain a child and make an adult chuckle, which really adds to the reading bond between parent and child, making reading enjoyable for both parties. I wish I had a celebration like this halfway between my birthdays! It was quite the adventure for a young listener that hasn't experienced much of the world. The art work was sufficient as well. I would highly recommend it to listeners that have an attention span of greater than 5 minutes though, some pages can be wordy for a picture book.

This is a gentle, warm book about a family of four celebrating a little boy’s sixth month birthday. We are never told why this is so important, why the family can’t wait until he is one year old. That, in itself, could generate some interesting discussion.

The mother, father, sister Millie, and baby Oscar go on a picnic. When the parents light a candle on Oscar’s cake, all the people in the park who have been admiring the baby, join in singing “happy birthday.” Millie wears fairy wings throughout the journey as the family enjoys such simple gifts as the wind in the trees, the roar of the train, and the sunshine in the park. The writing is, at times, pure poetry. “Oscar frowns in the dim light – six different expressions on show more his face in the time it takes a leaf to fall.” and “The wind carries their song up over the hill, out across the traffic, higher than churches and factories and apartment buildings. It’s sound falls gently over the city – so faint that, only dogs can hear it. And somewhere down there, the one who started all of this… the half-birthday boy, Oscar, sits tilted at an angle, his fingers curled into Millie’s tuna sandwich. His shoulders are hunched, his head nods, and the light shines through his ears, illuminating them like little lanterns.”

This is a story infused with gentle love. It would be a wonderful book to share with a child who has a tiny baby sister or brother.

The illustrations are soft watercolors, often two-page spreads. They are simple but engaging. The mother is of African descent and the father is of European descent. At the end, each parent is carrying a well-loved, sleepy child.

Highly recommended. show less

After reading this book, I had to get it for my nephew. He just turned 6 months, and his parents were so excited about his half birthday too! I needed to get Henry this book so that he could remember how excited his parents were to celebrate his birthday. The book celebrates diversity. The family is interracial and they live in an urban setting. I think this is a great book to have in the classroom to ensure that diversity is represented for every child. It is so important that children feel like they can relate to the characters in books. By ensuring books with characters of all backgrounds, students are able to feel connected to the characters.

This book shows a young city-dwelling family celebrating their young baby’s half birthday with a long walk, and a picnic in the community park. This book shows a realistic picture of life in the city, including graffiti on walls, traffic sounds, and strangers in the park who are curious about the family’s celebration. This book is colorful illustrated, poignant in its portrayal of both parents and their personal styles. This book is great for young children and defies stereotypes and popular depictions of families in the suburbs who look a certain way. This story is inclusive, and will allow for many more families to feel seen. One short phrase I took with me from this story was their calling a park the “half country”, showing show more their long journey to get there and how it felt like an oasis from where they lived in the city. show less

This is the story about how Oscar's family sets out to celebrate his "six-month-a-versary". They travel through the city, over the highway, and through the woods to their special picnic spot :-) where all of the people gathered in the park take the time to sing happy birthday. This book shows how very clearly people doat on babies and can make the older sibling feel left out, BUT, in the end, they remind the older sister that her day is coming up next.
I love that Bob Graham's books have such normal, everyday issues depicted. I think it's a good way to show children that they are not alone in their feelings.