Romeo & Juliet: A BabyLit® Counting Primer

BabyLit® Primers

by Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver (Illustrator)

With the perennial popularity of classic writers like Jane Austen and William Shakespeare, BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple counting text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s Alison Oliver, Little Miss Austen and Little Master Shakespeare are a must for every savvy parent’s nursery library.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Classics, Shakespeare, Counting, Fiction, Retellings

22 pages, Board book

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Jennifer Adams is the author of more than forty books. Her bestselling BabyLit board books (published by Gibbs Smith) introduce small children to the world of classic literature and have sold 1.5 million copies. She is the author of another series of board books, My Little Cities.

Jennifer’s picture books for children, Edgar Gets Ready for Bed, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart and Edgar and the Tree House of Usher are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” She also has two new picture books forthcoming from HarperCollins.

Her titles also include books for adults, including Y is for Yorick, a slightly irreverent look at Shakespeare, and Remarkably Jane, notable quotations on Jane Austen.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Washington. She has 20 years’ experience as a book editor, including at Gibbs Smith and Quirk Books. She currently works as a consulting editor for Sounds True, developing their children’s line. Jennifer works some evenings at her local independent bookstore, The King’s English, to feed her book habit. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer.

(bio from author's website)

Reviews

[Théo d'Or]

At only 10 years old, he felt so old, in that morning. As he hurried through the library, he stumbled, and his books cascaded to the floor in a chaotic tumble, their covers splaying open like wings. Kneeling to gather them, Samuel's fingers brushed against another pair of hands...
He looked up to see a girl with long hair, and wide, curious eyes...
" Thank you ", Samuel murmured, his voice barely about a whisper.
" It's nothing ", the girl replied. " My name is Clara. What's yours ? "
" I'm Samuel .... Are you..new here ? "
" Yes, I just moved here, recently.
Ah....I love reading. Do you ? "

" I do too....", Samuel replied, his heart pounding a little faster..." Maybe...maybe we could read together, sometime..."
" I'd like that ", said Clara.
With the books finally gathered, Samuel felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to speak, when Clara moved away. He took a deep breath, and said " Wait ! ...I think... I love you... "
Clara looked at him, surprised, but then, her expression softened into a gentle smile. " Okay..."

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A COUNTING BOOK FEATURING ROMEO AN JULIET! You are never too young to be introduced to Bill S!

[Jem · Rating 5 out of 5]

If my dad were secretly writing these reviews, he'd probably complain that this book has little/nothing to do with Romeo and Juliet. He'd probably point out that the balcony scene does not occur until Act II Scene ii, so using it to represent the number "1" is pointless and inaccurate. He'd probably take issue with "5 friends" being represented by Tybalt, Nurse, Friar Laurence, Paris, and Mercutio: Tybalt slays Mercutio, so Romeo kills Tybalt and is then hidden away by Friar Laurence, and nobody, nobody is friends with Paris. He'd probably be upset that "9" is represented by "streets and bridges" and whine that there are way more things actually from the play that could be used and this dumb book has very little to do with Romeo and Juliet and is really nothing more than a ploy to get nerdy lit-lovin' dads to buy this.

That's probably what my dad would say.

But, I love, love, love the "6 musicians" because daddy makes funny sounds for that page!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wondering how they'd tell this without the ending but they did a good job!!!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about this series when the owner of Red Balloon came to one of our ECFE classes to talk about children's books and encourage reading.

Such a creative idea to interpret classics for babies and young children. The pictures are beautiful and it is interesting to see how the author chose to tell the story for children. This series is really fun for both kids and parents. Excited to get Alice and Wonderland and Wuthering Heights.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am slightly disturbed. OK, it's fun. We get to combine Shakespeare with a colorful and interesting board book that teaches counting. It's fun, it's creative. And strange. I mean the play is a tragedy. Someday the child who grew up with this book is going to discover the whole story and wail in utter despair, "Wait, they DIE?" No...not ready for the disillusionment....

On the other hand it's fun. And interesting. Just...disturbing.

[LaRaie Zimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

So adorable, but for whom? Babies? Sure! They have no frame of reference but they would enjoy the colors and design, I think. But this is really just a cute way to repackage an adult book. I would recommend this to Shakespeare fans, not parents or caregivers looking for a good baby/counting book.

[Stefani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A board counting book. Shakespeare-fan parents will love the details; their babies will love the muted, colorful pictures.

I do fear that using the exact same title will lead to some confusion within the library catalog.

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute kid's book that thankfully ignored the suicide and homicide so rampant in the original lol.

[Lee]

A Shakespeare book for babies? So cool.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romeo & Juliet: A BabyLit® Counting Primer, Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver
"Parting is such sweet sorrow."
[I had a spare hour and was in the library, so I looked at these cool little books]

[Megan Baratta]

Illustrations are terrible, but Skye loves this one.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s a new discovery of mine, and I absolutely love them: counting primers of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Romeo and Juliet” – yes, now you can introduce your baby to the classics in the form of these adorable board books.

An excerpt:

1 Balcony

2 Loves

3 People Meet

4 Roses (the Shakespeare quote “that which we call a rose …” is on the opposite page)

You get the idea. The illustrations are really cute as well, and tie in well with the themes of the books.

I just love the idea of these, and wish like anything I’d have come up with it :) . I think it is genius; similar to the genius of the Baby Einstein folks in making classical music accessible to babies.

I was fortunate enough to be able to ask a few questions of the books’ author, Jennifer Adams.

Me: I love the idea behind these books! How did you come up with it?

JA: The idea for BabyLit is from my genius editor, Suzanne Taylor, Creative Director at Gibbs Smith, Publisher. She came up with the concept and then we worked closely developing the manuscripts. I wrote quite a few different versions of the books before we settled on making them counting primers.

Me: I like the variety of springboards the books offer: from the very simple (5 sisters) to the more complex (a Shakespeare quote). Do you have any ideas for ways parents might use these books with their children?

JA: We tried to make the books work on many levels from the very simple to the more complex. So the books are a lot of fun if you just look at the fabulous illustrations for very little babies, or if you want to take them a step further to use them to teach your child counting, they are great for that. Or when your children are even a little older parents can elaborate and tell more of the story of Pride and Prejudice or actually read some Shakespeare to their kids. It’s a great way to introduce your child to the classics and make the classics accessible. We are also developing a very cool version for the iPad that will have added features for kids in addition to what you see in the printed book.

Me: Do you have other books for this series in the works?

JA: There are very exciting plans in the works for the next books. Be on the lookout for orphans, vampires, and some interesting aristocracy!

There you have it. I think these books would be a wonderful baby gift. But, I’m not parting with mine. I just love them!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

You guys, my infant daughter loves this book; it is one of her favorites! She sits on my lap and listens attentively as I read it to her. She grabs it, and looks at it by herself too! As an English major and Shakespeare fan, I was drawn to this book, but I wasn't particularly impressed with it. The artwork is a big strange, and the actual plot isn't conveyed. However, my daughter clearly rates it higher than I, ha! So, 3 stars from me, and 5 stars from her... a combined score of 4 stars.
We also checked out the Wuthering Heights Baby Lit book. I personally like that one better because there is text from the novel on each page. However, my daughter doesn't engage with that one nearly as much as the Romeo and Juliet one.

[Kathleen Behrendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romeo and Julie: A Counting Primer is part of the BabyLit series of board books that are extremely popular. These books provide a simple introduction to classic literature. Each title uses major themes of the stories, yet the content is age appropriate. The illustrations are colorful and quirky.

Recommend these to parents of babies, toddlers and preschoolers. These are perfect for parents to use to introduce "high literature" to young children, especially if one of the titles is a favorite. These make nice baby shower gifts.

[Drew Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does Romeo love Juliet? Let him count the ways...

This is one of my favorite BabyLit books yet. Sure, it totally glosses over the tragic ending of this doomed, impetuous love affair, and sure the "5 friends" and "9 streets and bridges" pages are kind of a stretch, but the art and the text are some of the best in the series. The snippets from the text are great, and I love the shapes (even Juliet's light bulb-shaped head, which very nicely implies the moment when the "light through yonder window breaks").

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely darling illustrations that adults as well as children will love. It's NEVER too early to introduce your child to the classics! How can I give diapers or baby booties to young mothers? Gifts that will not last. No, from now on, I'll give all the new babies in my life these wonderful classics. Gifts that will last forever. I've bought copies to save the grandchildren that I will have some day.

[Jinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that the kids and I read to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas" because we roll like that!

If you're a Shakespeare/Romeo & Juliet fan then this would be a lovely counting book to share with your little one.

Side Note: I personally like the Baby Lit book on Pride & Prejudice better ...so elegant and regal.

Jinky is Reading

[TinHouseBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Chonette (Art Director): During rare moments of stillness in our household, there is a stack of books at the ready. This week’s favorite has been the wonderful edition of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet published by BabyLit (Gibbs Smith). It is a counting primer that starts with “One Balcony”. This series of board books is beautifully illustrated and offers just a little toddler taste of what the classics hold. Our other favorites are Moby-Dick, Dracula, and Alice in Wonderland.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see how die-hard Shakespeare fans will think this is a great idea, but I find it ridiculous. Even though this a counting book instead of the story of R&J, it features symbols from the play, but a toddler will have no frame of reference for them. This is one of those books that appears to be a children's book, but is really for the parents.

[Kwoomac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another in Jennifer Adams series of board books based on the classics. This is also a counting primer. Some of the items counted seemed like a bit of a stretch; '3 people meet', '9 streets and bridges'. The artwork didn't thrill me. Parents might get a kick out of it. I give it a meh.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My thoughts} – I have always been a huge fan of the Romeo & Juliet story. When I saw this book I just kind of had to have it type thing and add it to the collection we have growing for the babies.

The cover of this book is simple and on par with the Romeo & Juliet theme. It has an image of Romeo & Juliet holding hands but separated by a rose. The illustrations and the colors are wonderfully done.

This particular book is based on the Romeo & Juliet story. It is also a book that helps to introduce numbers 1-10 to babies and toddlers.

When you first open the book the page in the right has a number. Under the number is a word. And then on the left page is a simple illustration that helps explain the number and the word. This goes forth through the rest of the book.

I really enjoyed reading through this book with my daughter. She enjoyed it as well. She was interested in hearing about the book and seeing what I had to say about the images and words. However, she was more interested in turning the pages. She is just at that age I think and it makes reading with her so much fun.

I think that this book will make a great addition to any child’s library. I think that they can benefit greatly by being introduced to the classic books that many had grown up with. This is definitely a wonderful book and worth the purchase!

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm very baffled by this.

It's a counting book! Kind of R&J-themed except... that's a real stretch. There is no story present, and the aspects drawn from R&J don't come in order. (We start with the balcony for 1. We go back to masks for 7.) And while the 9 bridges and streets is a cute map that is trying, I don't know what the textual basis is for that. The 5 friends are *not* friends... I could continue, but I'll spare you.

As a counting book, it's fine, but it's nothing special. We get the number, not the word written out, and then on the other side of the spread we see the correct number of that object, with very little else usually.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oof, this might be the weakest one we've yet read of Jennifer Adams's BabyLit books. Neither Rowan nor I were much impressed. It's just not particularly effective as an identification book, nor does it convey anything very substantial about Romeo & Juliet (unlike the BabyLit versions of Moby Dick and Dracula). Rowan never found it engaging at all. Alas. I suppose everyone phones it in sometimes. This is one of those times.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a counting book featuring characters and elements from Romeo and Juliet. On the one hand, I really like the artwork and text. On the other hand, I'm a little weirded out by introducing babies to tragedies without any elements of the tragedies included. I'm just imagining my son reading R&J someday and being surprised by what actually happens in it! Still, it's a cool counting primer.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

These Baby Lit primers are a great idea, teaching kids basic concepts while introducing them to classic literature. They're all filled with characters and plot points from the books along with some fun art. My only complaint is these won't give you much of an idea what the real book is about unless you've already read it.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simple counting book that introduces babies and young toddlers to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Page 1 says “1 balcony” and page 2 says “2 loves.” It introduces some other characters and counts items like love letters. The ending is sweet, not tragic. Good for parents who want to introduce their babies to Shakespeare and counting.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

These BabyLit books are very cute. This one of Romeo and Juliet hits all the high points in just a few words (and manages not to even really allude to the whole death thing, which is important in a book for an infant!).

[Mort's Kids · Rating 2 out of 5]

These babylit books are obvious fraught. Trying to take a classic and turn it into a board book is obviously a challenge and this one is... fine. Not great. The art is nice enough so that's a plus. Otherwise... I dare say you'll teach your child neither Shakespeare nor numbers with this tome.