Please, Baby, Please

by Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

Overview

From waking the entire house at five in the morning and wearing breakfast on their heads to making giant waves in the bath and refusing to go to sleep (without one more kiss), toddlers are always full of energy and surprises. Academy Award-nominated director and producer Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, recall some of the "surprises" that came with raising their own two children in this exuberant picture book that's perfect for family sharing. The Lees personally chose acclaimed artist (and father of two) Kadir Nelson to illustrate this book, and the resulting work -- a daring combination of warmth and vibrant color -- explodes with all the energy of childhood (and concludes with the patience, understanding, and unconditional love of being a parent).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416949114
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	09/18/2007
Series:	Classic Board Books
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	46,077
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Spike Lee is one of the most prominent and influential media figures today. His films include the critically acclaimed School Daze; Academy Award nominee Do the Right Thing; Malcolm X; Clockers; and 25th Hour. Born in Atlanta, Spike attended Morehouse College and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned his master of fine arts degree in film production. Spike and his wife are the authors of Please, Baby, Please, their first picture book with Simon & Schuster. They live in New York City with their two children.

Tonya Lewis Lee is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Virginia School of Law. As a children's television producer she has worked with Disney, Nickelodeon, and Noggin/The N, where she was the executive producer of the award-winning documentary I Sit Where I Want: The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education and the critically acclaimed miniseries Miracle's Boys. She is also the author of Gotham Diaries, her first novel.

Kadir Nelson is the widely acclaimed illustrator of many books for children, including Thunder Rose, written by Jerdine Nolen, which received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award; Ellington Was Not a Street, written by Ntozake Shange, which received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award; and Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life, written by Jerdine Nolen, which won the 2005 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. He is also the illustrator of Deloris Jordan and Roslyn M. Jordan’s Salt in His Shoes and Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee's Please, Baby, Please and Please, Puppy, Please. Kadir Nelson lives with his family in San Diego, California.

Editorial Reviews

"Many grownups will recognize the title as the comic carnal plea uttered by Lee in his film, She's Gotta Have It. Now, Lee and his wife/co-author have turned those words into a G-rated parental entreaty-directed at an inexhaustible toddler," wrote PW. Ages 2-5. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Illustrations rendered in oil enhance this fast paced, fun-filled book for toddlers. With soft, yet vivid colors and realistic baby expressions, the illustrator increases the already lively text. Repeating rhyming patterns contain just enough variation to entertain the child listener as a grownup reads this book. Fun baby antics include dumping cereal on ones head, writing on the walls, not wanting to share, eating forbidden sand, throwing a fit, and the joy of discovering a ready-for-the-wind dandelion. These realistic everyday happenings are ones with which a toddler can relate. Parents will enjoy the clock preceding each simple piece of text since it depicts the progression of a day with baby. The large print text and size of the book are also a plus. The husband and wife authors have collaborated to offer a book that cries to be read again and again to a toddler. Add this board book to any preschool shelf or to your home library in a house with young children. Reviewer: Nancy Garhan Attebury

Children's Literature - Nancy Garhan Attebury

PreS-K-At 3:01 a.m., an exhausted parent begs a riled-up youngster to "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." At a quarter to eight, the plea is for the child not to dump cereal on her head. Throughout the day, the toddler is asked to share a ball, eat some peas, and sleep tight. Baby is asked to not eat sand, be a tease, or splash. After being put to bed at 8:00 p.m., she comes into her parents' bedroom two hours later and asks, "Kiss me good night? Mama, Mama, Mama, please." The litany of pleas will strike a chord with parents and caregivers, and will amuse children with its repetition and rhyme. Bright, full-bleed illustrations evoke the child-centered mayhem of this frazzled yet loving family. Baby, with her caramel-colored skin and corkscrew curls, sometimes appears unnaturally proportioned, her head too large and her limbs contorted, but the overall effect is humorous and action-packed.-Anna DeWind Walls, Milwaukee Public Library Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Parents and caregivers will recognize the ritualistic pleading that takes place when spending the day with a toddler. Sounding like a broken record, a mother pleads with her daughter to share her toys, eat a balanced meal, and finally go to sleep. As she plays on her mother's tummy, up way past her bedtime (the clock radio shows 3:01 a.m.) her mother pleads, "Go back to bed, baby, please, baby, please." When she dumps the contents of her breakfast, "Not on your HEAD, baby baby baby, please!" Each page features an impish grin and impossibly beautiful eyes peeking out from under a tangle of perky curls, but the angelic expression does not change the fact that this little one is all devil. A tiny clock records the time of day at the beginning of the line of text on each double-paged spread, but it's the rambunctious tot who captures all of the focus. Vivid illustrations of this African-American family full of love and patience for their strong-willed daughter will evoke laughter as the parents attempt, with mixed results, to guide their charmer's behavior. Sure enough, the closing line turns the tables as the little girl asks for a kiss, ". . . Mama, Mama, Mama, please." Richly colored and meticulously detailed paintings highlight the tiny, but determined imp with curls that literally spring from her head. The repetitive text, sunny illustrations, and entirely familiar scenarios will make this a favorite of parents and children alike. (Picture book. 1-4)

Kirkus Reviews