How many friends do you have? Without a doubt, a kid like you has lots of pals. There’s the friend who plays with you at school, and the one who shares cookies with you. Lots of kids in the neighborhood
How many friends do you have?
Without a doubt, a kid like you has lots of pals. There’s the friend who plays with you at school, and the one who shares cookies with you. Lots of kids in the neighborhood are your friends, and you might count a few grown-ups, too. Maybe you’re Daddy’s little buddy or Grandpa’s favorite pal.
But what if you had a new friend who couldn’t play with you, couldn’t share lunch with you, and couldn’t talk to you? In fact, what if you had a friend who couldn’t do much at all? In the new book “Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Baby?” by Barney Saltzberg, you’ll see what happens when that kind of friend moves in.
One day, when Cornelius P. Mud was reading a book and minding his own business, Mama came in the room, carrying a small bundle. Uh oh.
“Cornelius P. Mud,” she said, “there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
The bundle was tiny and what was in it seemed kind of scrawny, with teensy little ears and a little bitty snout. Cornelius P. Mud wondered if that baby in the bundle could play with him, but Mama said “No.”
Maybe they could pretend with a telephone or have secret codes between them. That little thing… could he talk? But Mama said “No.”
Surely, Cornelius P. Mud could take the baby for a nice walk around the neighborhood, right? Or they could put on a show for everyone, maybe.
But Mama said, “No, not yet!”
So if the baby can’t play or talk or walk, maybe he could share lunch? Could he eat a great big slice of pizza, because that was Cornelius P. Mud’s favorite food? When Mama said “no”, Cornelius P. Mud wondered. What good was that little guy, anyhow? Maybe they should send him back, because the only things that scrawny, tiny baby could do were icky and Cornelius P. Mud didn’t like that very much.
Then again, the little guy was kind of fun to hold. He smiled at Cornelius P. Mud, and that was a good thing. And the baby liked it when someone sang a song for him. Maybe — just maybe — there was something that baby could do after all…
The nursery is finished, extra diapers are in the closet, and you’ve pulled the stroller out of storage. But preparation for the new baby isn’t done until you bring home “Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Baby?”
New big brothers and sisters will easily identify with the main character in author/illustrator Barney Saltzberg’s cute book because Cornelius P. Mud wants to know the same things your kids are asking. Young Mr. Mud is just a kid himself, and he — like your preschooler — isn’t sure he likes this newcomer, either.
Colorful, lighthearted drawings and simple words make this a perfect book for shower gift or read-aloud for 2-to-5-year-olds. If there’s a new baby coming soon, “Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Baby?” will make you ready, too.
• The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book.
