by Nicola Winstanley
Kids Can Press, $16.95, 32 pages
Practically everyone has been around a baby who won’t stop crying. It’s so hard not knowing what the child wants. Parents will do anything to find the solution. In Cinnamon Baby, author Nicole Winstanley celebrates the bond between parent and child. Janice Nadeau’s delightful illustrations give the story a fairytale feel.
Miriam is a baker with a talent for creating delicious aromas as she bakes and sings. Sebastian falls in love and soon after getting married, they have their own bundle of joy…that won’t stop crying. What can they do to help their baby? One of many messages found in the story is the idea that everyone is beautiful and deserves to be loved, no matter what they look like or the color of their skin. Miriam is white, Sebastian is African-American, and they make a cinnamon baby with big brown eyes and dusky skin. If children and parents want to discuss race, this book gives them an opportunity to do so in a safe and comfortable way. That said, this is primarily a story about a baby who won’t stop crying and the length loving parents will go to in order to show their unconditional love and support.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin