Benny and Beautiful Baby Delilah (Phyllis Fogelman Books) - Hardcover

Jean Van Leeuwen lives in Westchester,New York.

LeUyen Pham lives in San Francisco, California.

Starred Review. PreS–Benny gets his very own little sister, but realizes pretty quickly that shes not much fun. She cries all the time and takes up his space in the family, plus, as he confesses to his toy elephant, Shes not beautiful. I dont even like her. When he tries some of his best tricks for the visiting relatives, counting to forty-leven and doing a tumblesault, all anyone does is ogle the baby. Even so, this is a tightly knit family and its satisfying when Mom agrees with her sons assertion that Delilah looks like a chipmunk. In the end, after a long session of crying, Benny takes charge and is able to get Delilah to smile. It was like the sun coming out. While this well-paced story doesnt break any new ground thematically, it is realistic and heartwarming. What makes it truly shine is the art. The illustrations give the story the energy and emotions that make it a success. The characterizations, created with a heavy ink line, are expressive, jaunty, and lively. There is great joy and tenderness in the pages as Benny grows into his role as a big brother.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
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