The Baby Swap

by Jan Ormerod (Author) Andrew Joyner (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
A jealous big sister learns a very loving lesson in this warm and funny picture book about sibling rivalry, featuring charming text and retro-nostalgic artwork. Caroline Crocodile is not thrilled with her baby brother. He drools. A lot. But all Mama Crocodile ever says is how GORGEOUS he is! And so Caroline ventures into a baby shop to swap out her brother. Unfortunately, the baby panda is a fussy eater, the giraffe is missing scales, and the piglet isn't green. Turns out, the best younger sibling around might just be her own yellow-eyed, sharp-clawed, drooling baby brother.
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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

It's lovely to have one more reminder of the late Ormerod's talent. Caroline Crocodile deems her baby brother a smelly, "no fun" drooler who "takes up all the room" on Mama Crocodile's lap. Stuck minding him in the shopping district, she does what any red-blooded, capitalist kid would do: she goes to the "Baby Shop" and tries to trade up. The shopkeeper doesn't miss a beat and matches Caroline with a series of substitute babies--a panda, an elephant, and twin tigers--all of which prove to be ill-advised (the panda devours a cafe's bamboo furniture; the elephant breaks the town fountain). It will come as no surprise that Ormerod handles Caroline's burning jealously and misplaced attempts to steer her own destiny with comedic deftness and emotional acuity, never overplaying her prose or premise. And while Ormerod was a gifted artist, she has a worthy collaborator in Joyner (The Terrible Plop). His composition and pacing feel effortless, and his repertoire of vivid expressions--which include Caroline's impressive gamut of looks as well as the panda's funny-creepy unchanging stare--makes every page pretty near perfect. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-K--Caroline Crocodile is not at all fond of her baby brother and can't understand why Mama Crocodile spends her time on him. One day, while her mother goes to a hat shop to make an exchange, Caroline spies The Baby Shop and sets out to make an exchange of her own. She trades her sibling for a series of other baby animals, including a panda, an elephant, and twin tigers. But each swap presents unexpected problems, and she is left with just one conclusion-- that her baby brother is the right choice for her. Joyner's bright, busy illustrations evoke the work of Bernard Waber and H.A. Rey--a perfect fit for the timeless, classic feel of Ormerod's text. Giggles will ensue as the ridiculousness escalates. VERDICT Whether used one-on-one or in storytime, this engaging story will tickle kids' funny bones.--Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Jan Ormerod
Jan Ormerod (1946-2013) was an award-winning author who grew up in Western Australia. As a child Jan drew constantly, and she eventually went on to attend art school and study drawing, painting, and sculpture. During her career Jan published more than fifty books, including Sunshine, Lizzie Nonsense, Water Witcher, and Maudie and Bear. Her work, which resonated with young children and adults alike, won many prestigious awards and received much acclaim.

Andrew Joyner is an Australian illustrator and cartoonist. The first picture book that he illustrated, The Terrible Plop, was published in 2009. Soon after Andrew created his own book series based on Boris, an adventurous warthog. In addition to his children's book projects, he also illustrates regularly for newspapers and magazines. Andrew lives in Strathalbyn, South Australia, with his family and nineteen pets.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781481419147
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little Simon
Publication date
February 17, 2015
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV002010 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Alligators & Crocodiles
Library of Congress categories
Brothers and sisters
Animals
Infancy
Babies
Jealousy
Crocodiles

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