Rating: 5 stars
See, some people might accuse me of desperation at this point, reviewing a 32-page children's book I've read to my son more times than I can consciously count, considering he's now nearly three, and my husband and I started reading it to him when he was only just a baby himself, long before he had any grasp of what the book was actually about or what the illustrations showed.
Those people might not be entirely wrong. I have, however, come to the conclusion that due to my fairly crippling anxiety and depression making it much more difficult to read this year, combined with a heavier than usual workload for parts of it (thanks Covid-19 for the added fun of having to do remote teaching for much of the year, giving me massively more to do without any extra compensation whatsoever) - plus the realisation this evening, as I was reading the book yet again, that it actually fits into one of the last reading challenges I've yet to successfully complete this year and consequently, I'd be an idiot not to review it and count it as one of my 104 books to help me (hopefully) complete my double Cannonball by the end of the year. I really don't want to think about what it's going to do to my self-esteem if I fail to complete this reading goal, the past two years have been pretty dismal for me, reading-wise, and I really need this win.
So if reviewing a sliver of a children's book brings me closer to this goal, then so be it. It's not like it's going to be a struggle for me to write at least 250 words about it - I've probably already covered those in my rather rambling introduction. For those of you who haven't got children of your own, or children to read to (with discerning parents who buy children's books written and illustrated by a former webcomic genius), you may be unaware of this little gem.
King Baby is the brief and sweet tale of a small infant's arrival into a new family, told from said baby's POV. The regally-minded child expects nothing more than is his due, praise, adulation, and adoration from his parents and other subjects. Eventually, King Baby grows older and is replaced by another tiny regent.
I probably adore this book more than my son does, although he's very fond of Beaton's other illustrated children's book, The Princess and the Pony. I have gifted this book to numerous new parents, and it's one of those books that you can read countless times, without ever getting bored, because the illustrations offer up something new almost every time. Highly recommended.
Judging a book by its cover: How can you not love this cover, with an adorable little egg-shaped bundle regally contemplating his existence? I love Kate Beaton's art, and this cover is no exception. While the regal baby is very simplistic, the throne he's sitting on is wonderfully intricate.
Crossposted on Cannonball Read.
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