The Every Baby Book

The Every Baby Book is a warm hug of a book that's perfect for bedtime or for moments when you need to quieten down an overactive baby or toddler.

Frann Preston-Gannon writes in gorgeously soothing rhyme about a day in the life of all different sorts of families, who come together halfway through for a birthday party in the park. These families are all different (and the book is wonderfully, effortlessly, inclusive) on one level – some are same-sex, some are single parents, some raise twins, some babies have siblings and others do not, and so on – and yet, we come to see that parenting is a unifying force that sweeps away such differences. 

Over the course of this day, the families engage in the same similar routines: breakfasts, nappy changes, dinners, bedtime. Frann Preston-Gannon draws some of these moments within circles on the page, so we feel like we are peering through a telescope at the families, which furthers the book's feeling of intimacy. These soft, warm illustrations are what make the book sing, since they capture so many relatable moments that are not often seen in children's books – an exploding soiled nappy, a toddler throwing a tantrum, a boy eating his dinner on his father's lap while the teddy bear gets the highchair...

The Every Baby Book walks a wonderful tightrope between poignant and funny and will surely comfort every parent and child, assuring them that they are not alone and however their day turns out, and whatever their family set-up, all that truly matters is love and togetherness.