Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep

by JaNay Brown-Wood, Elissambura (Illustrator)

Baby is finally asleep, and Mama is trying to shush the rest of the family; but when they are all finally quiet baby wakes up--and it is up to big brother Dante to find the right book to read so everyone can get some rest.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Storytime, Childrens, African American, Humor, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2021

About the author

JaNay Brown-Wood, PhD is an award-winning children’s author, educator, and scholar. Her first book Imani’s Moon won the NAESP Children’s Book of the Year Award, and her second book Grandma’s Tiny House: A Counting Story received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and won the CELI Read Aloud Book Award. She has several poems published including Falling Leaves in the poetry anthology Thanku: Poems of Gratitude (Lerner/Millbrook, 2019) a Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for 2019, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and a Notable Children’s Book for the Global Society. She has more than seven forthcoming books including Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep (Charlesbridge, forthcoming 2021), Where in the Garden a four-book series (Peachtree, forthcoming 2021, 2022, 2023) and Jam, Too (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House, forthcoming 2023). She is represented by the fabulous Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary. Learn more about her here at www.janaybrownwood.com or follow her on Twitter @janaybrownwood.

Reviews

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shh! The Baby’s Asleep is an entertaining, relatable, and heartwarming story with enough silliness to delight young readers. Highlighting the joys of family, intergenerational relationships and the quirks of having an exuberant family. I would highly recommend this one for story times and especially for families with a new baby! Perfect for ages 2 and up.

Read my full review on my blog.

Many thanks to the publisher for a free review copy.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has had a infant will appreciate this book for big brother or big sister. Shhh Baby is asleep. It takes a family together to take care of baby in many different ways and also gives the family a peace of mind and sanity when baby is asleep. I like the culture implications of this book as well. Cultures are different but also the same. We all care if baby sleeps.

Your child will take ownership of being a big sister or big brother in this helpful book.

A special thank you to Charlesbridge and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family members are making noises all around the house, then are shushed! Simple text with great sounds to emulate. The illustrations are bright and fun.

[Edshara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a library favorite. This was read multiple times and we extended our checkout twice. Loved the illustrations and the characters, along with all the different sounds.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This just came in with one of our new title shipments, and I'm so glad I took the time to read it, because it would make a GREAT storytime book!

The cumulative rhythm of each family member telling the next "Shh! The baby's asleep!" builds to a crescendo when the neighbor's dreaded lawnmower rouses the baby with an almighty wail--which would be a lot of fun to do in story time, especially with kids participating by repeating the refrain.

All is not lost, because a shared book lulls the family to sleep--everyone but the wakeful baby!

(This would also make a great Big Book. My team has been doing a lot of outdoor storytime, and it's really difficult to make anything other than Big Books work with the size of our space/crowd, though we've found a few. Unfortunately, there seems to be only one company that _makes_ Big Books, and their selection is frankly pretty old and not very diverse. I love Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom as much as the next librarian, but I really wish they'd do some titles that are actually _recent_.)

UPDATE: I finally got to use this in a Saturday family story time, and it was indeed a big hit!

[Karen Yin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is pretty perfect! It has satisfying rhymes and fun-to-say onomatopoeia, and the illustrations are engaging and expressive. I enjoyed getting to meet and learn something about the whole family. A must-have book. No baby in the house required for immense enjoyment.

[Paulina M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

We follow a hilarious family that can’t seem to stop making noise, even when the baby has just fallen asleep. No doubt baby’s nap doesn’t last long, but she can count on her big brother to put her back to sleep with a book!

The representation in this book is terrific, Elissambura’s illustrations were hilarious, bright, and I feel they told JaNay Brown-Wood’s story visually in a perfect way.

I love how the book shows a multigenerational family who lives together and that each seems to live in harmony. As soon as they realize the baby is sleeping, they join the “silence crew.” After all, we all know what will happen when the baby wakes up!

I had a lot of fun reading this book; it was relatable in all the good ways! I will be purchasing that book for my classroom, and I can anticipate it being one of my fave books to read with children!


Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to JaNay Brown-Wood, Charlesbridge and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Shhh! The Baby's Asleep.

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[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent storytime book. The baby in a multi-generational Black family has jusssst fallen asleep, and each member in turn is warned to "Shhhh!" and stay quiet to preserve the baby's peaceful sleep as they attempt to go about their daily activities. Kids will enjoy saying "Shhh! The Baby's Asleep!" along with the book. The pacing of some of the rhymes is slightly awkward, so would recommend reading through a couple times prior to storytime. Another win for this book is its representation of fat characters! Dad in particular has a fat belly and is shown happily snacking on a PB&J--great and important representation to find in a picture book, even if way too rare.

Themes: Sounds, Sleep, Baby, Family
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Now don't make a peep....the baby's finally asleep.

Premise/plot: It may take a WHOLE family working together to keep the house quiet enough for the baby to sleep--and stay asleep!!! After half a dozen close-calls, will the baby finally wake up?!?!

My thoughts: I liked this one. It is fairly predictable, but in a good, fun way. The refrain is "shhh! the baby's asleep!" I like that the family is LARGE--including a set of grandparents. It is all about descriptions: creak! creak! creak! grumble! grumble! grumble! swish! swish! swish!

I will say this--for what it's worth--babies should sleep with some white noise so that the family doesn't have to be so careful!

[Michelle Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHHH! THE BABY’S ASLEEP is a comical and relatable book for anyone who’s ever tried keeping a baby asleep. Oh, the lengths we’ll go to, just to keep those little ones sleeping! Kids will love this book and appreciate joining in the fun of reading by repeating the line, Shhh! The baby’s asleep! The illustrations are lively and help prolong the suspense as characters and noises grow louder. Will the baby wake? Who will wake her? What will happen? You’ll want to get your hands on this sweet book to find out what happens when the baby’s asleep.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this and can't wait to read it for my students! This would be a great circle time read, but would be equally enjoyable in small group or individual reading.

The illustrations are bright, vivid, and gorgeous! The rhymes are smooth and easy. Kids will have a great time imitating the various sounds that threaten to wake the baby and it's a great lesson in onomatopoeia for kids ready for that concept.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Elizabeth Bedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute adorable fun! This sweet story is relatable and perfect for kids and parents alike. The baby is finally asleep, and the family tries desperately not to wake the baby. Humor abounds through Brown-Wood’s brilliantly clever rhyming text and Elissambura’s illustrations providing a gorgeous, lively backdrop. Children will delight in the refrain, “Shhh! The baby’s asleep!” as well as the onomatopoeia. And everyone will delight in the perfect twist ending. I highly recommend this charming story!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story centering around the one issue parents and family members can all relate to—don’t wake up the baby! As the family strives to protect naptime, the rhyming text makes this a fun read-aloud for kids of all ages. Love the multi-generational theme as well as the older brother’s important role in helping sooth his baby sister—as well as the entire family! The collage style artwork matches the lively household scenes. The simple premise for the story lays the perfect groundwork for a fun, entertaining book that kids with younger siblings will especially enjoy.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Charlesbridge through Edelweiss+.
Cute story about a family being quiet so the baby can sleep. The story moves in a circle from person to person telling the next to be quiet as the baby is finally asleep. Needless to say, the last creak wakes the baby up and the family all ends up reading together until everyone but the baby fall asleep.
Lovely illustrations capture the love and nurture as well as a family trying to live their lives while adapting to a new baby in the home. Simple to follow text for younger readers.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect book for any family short on their sleep because of a new (ish) baby, this book would also make a great read-aloud for toddler or preschool story times! There are so many wonderful sounds that kids will enjoy making - from the grumble of a hungry tummy to the creak of the floorboards and the howl of the dog! And, of course, everyone can chime in on "Shhhh!" Sadly, baby does not stay asleep and it is up to big brother to figure out the perfect remedy for sleeplessness.

[Akoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publisher for consideration.

This book is so much fun to read with and to a toddler. The illustrations and words have this great balance that allows for a very dramatic reading experience complete with gestures and sounds.

I recommend you check out a copy from your local library or recommend they order one. Also if you can afford to, please get a copy of your own from a bookstore.

[Leticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really hard to get Violet to pay attention to a book now that she's 2. Most of the time I check out books for her that are very short, no long paragraphs. This one kept both Violet and Forrest really engaged the entire time because of the many descriptive words for all the sounds (creak, grumble, achoo, whir, etc.) It also served the purpose of teaching her the difference between quiet and loud sounds because yes... I'm constantly telling her "Shhh the baby's asleep" LOL

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening with the line, “Now don’t make a peep—the baby’s finally asleep!” Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep tells of the trials and tribulations of keeping a baby slumbering when the house is full of three generations of family, a dog, and a lawn-mowing neighbor. The story is perfectly paired with the dynamic illustrations of Elissambura, making it a modern-day classic. Written in rhyme and loaded with noise-making onomatopoeias, Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep! is grin-from-ear-to-ear storytelling at its best.

[B.C. Spines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for a preschool storytime about being awake/asleep. A baby is sleeping and the book goes through a series of noises different family members make with the refrain "Shhh! The baby's asleep!"

I really like this book! I love books that have refrains because the repetition is good. It was also fun making all the sound effects. I like the ending-- how it ends up with the whole family asleep EXCEPT for the baby.

[Angie Counsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about all the things that families go through to try and make sure everyone is quiet so the baby doesn't wake up. They go through every family member, including the dog and the neighbor, to try and keep the baby asleep. The illustrations are very bright and vibrant and they have a lot of things going on in the pictures for kids to explore. I really like this book, I think it would be a fun read-aloud for toddlers.

[Patricia Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable rhyming picture book with lots of fun read-aloud onomatpoeia. Kids will love repeating the refrain with increasing enthusiasm and parents will get a kick out of the surprise ending. Elissambura's coloful illustrations will stimulate lots of discussion--and smiles. Another winner from JaNay Brown-Wood!

[Erin Dealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh parents (and caregivers, siblings, grandparents, readers everywhere!)--> How many times have you heard someone say: "Shhh! The Baby's Asleep!" This wonderful rhymed picture book builds with each spread as noises abound--with such clever sounds--until... Oh, no. I'm not spoiling this one. Read it yourself. Again and again and again!

[Julie Abery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family try desperately hard to keep quiet so the baby can sleep, but it turns out families make lots of noise, just doing! From creaky floorboards, to sneezes, hairdryers, and lawn mowers, everyone hears the same repeating line “Shhh! The baby’s asleep!” When the baby is suddenly awakened, the family find the perfect way to all take a nap – reading a book!!

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with humor, bright bold illustrations and bouncy rhyming text Big Brother tries to keep his loud and expansive family from waking up his baby sister. This is a great Storytime audience pleaser - in addition to the illustrations and rhyming text there are noises to make. As a bonus the family is African-American and there is a great twist at the end.

[Taylor Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! Each page describes a different family member/character doing an action that could wake up the sleeping baby in the house. For example, you have "Mr. Young starts to mow. VROOM! VROOM! VROOM!" or "Pop Pop's red nose just needs some good blows. ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!" This was such a fun read with great illustrations of an African American family's household!

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not original in the slightest--I've seen this story told many times before--but the words have good swing and they rhyme smoothly. The art is attractive, though it looks computer generated based on that of LeUyen Pham, which has become so pervasive I have it as a shelf tag!

[Mindy Alyse Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids with younger siblings (and their exhausted parents) should enjoy seeing how a large family attempts to stay quiet so they won’t wake the baby. The illustrations are fun and vibrant and there’s lots of fun read aloud sounds, too.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hysterical story! Being as my kids are no longer babies, I can look back and appreciate the necessity of keeping quiet-to a point. Here in this book every little thing could possibly awaken the little tyke. Even though baby does wake up, very clever that the older baby comes up with a solution to the problem that has it effect-just not on the baby! Laughed myself silly!!
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful storytime book that I am so excited to try out with the toddlers! New siblings can be difficult concepts for toddlers and this is an excellent concept story to help them understand when to control their voice with fun dialogic oppertunities.

[Stef Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, does this story bring back memories! I may be a years removed from tiptoeing out of a sleeping baby's room, but I can remember it all too well! And JaNay Brown-Wood's SHH! THE BABY'S ASLEEP does a perfect, yet playful job of bringing this familiar family situation to life.

This story follows the noises around the house that could wake baby up during their nap. So many things can interrupt the sleeping baby...will baby wake up?? You find out for yourself!

Ellisambura's illustrations are delightful, making it impossible not to fall in love with all these characters.

This book would make a fun read aloud (with so many fun noises to make!) for any sibling who knows this situation all too well.