Picture Book Review: Shh! The Baby’s Asleep

Summary: Shh! The Baby’s Asleep

In Shh! The Baby’s Asleep, an entire family tries their hardest to keep the house quiet for their sleeping baby. How hard can it be? It seems impossible! Not while the dog is howling, the neighbor is mowing her lawn, Grandma is trying to wash by hand, and Mom’s shoes are noisy on the squeaky hardwood floors! On top of that, one of the kids is trying to unjam the wheels of his toy car. Will the baby stay asleep?

The Good

This is an absolutely delightful picture book. It’s perfectly silly and relatable. Any kids who have a baby at home will know “Shh! The baby is asleep” to be a common refrain — and it is in this book. Throughout the story, a new family member is told “Shh! The baby’s asleep!” as they carry on their own noise-making venture. Even the dog gets told off — all good-naturedly too.

The text is sparse and the vivid illustrations fill the page in this one. Major points for a dark-skinned Black family with grandparents present. I love seeing large families, especially Black families, in stories. This one reminds me of the camaraderie in Baptist’s The Electric Slide and Kai. There’s also a distinct, enjoyable rhythm to the storytelling.

Overall: Shh! The Baby’s Asleep

Shh! The Baby’s Asleep is an entertaining, relatable, and heartwarming story with enough silliness to delight young readers. Highlighting the joys of family, intergenerational relationships and the quirks of having an exuberant family. I would highly recommend this one for story times and especially for families with a new baby! Perfect for ages 2 and up.

Buy This Book

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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