Published Work
Available wherever books are sold
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- Title: Babymoon
- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Release Date: April 2, 2019
- Author: Hayley Barrett
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 2-5, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-763-68852-3
In a perfect gift for new and expectant parents (and siblings), a gentle story pays tribute to the wonder and emotion of a family’s first quiet days with a newborn.
The house is hushed. The lights are low.
We’re basking in a newborn glow.
Inside the cozy house, a baby has arrived! The world is eager to meet the newcomer, but there will be time enough for that later. Right now, the family is on its babymoon: cocooning, connecting, learning, and muddling through each new concern. While the term “babymoon” is often used to refer to a parents’ getaway before the birth of a child, it was originally coined by midwives to describe days like these: at home with a newborn, with the world held at bay and the wonder of a new family constellation unfolding. Paired with warm and winsome illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, Hayley Barrett’s lyrical ode to these tender first days will resonate with new families everywhere.
★ 2019 Society of Illustrators Original Art Selection
★ 63rd New England Book Show Catalog – Children’s Books – Third Place
- BookRiot – 30 Must-Read Diverse Children’s Books from the First Half of 2019
- Here Wee Read – Go on a Babymoon and Bring this Picture Book with You
- EMU’s Debuts – Bonding with Babymoon
- BookPage – 30 Must-Read Diverse Children’s Books from the First Half of 2019
- Seven Impossible Things – 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #634: Featuring Juana Martinez-Neal
- The Daily Times Chronicle – Hayley Barrett is rising children’s writer
- Design of the Picture Book – Babymoon + A Conversation with Juana Martinez-Neal
- American Bookseller Association – ABC Group Unveils 2019 Best Books for Young Readers Catalog Cover Art
- The Horn Book – Calling Caldecott Spring Picture Books on the Radar
- American Bookseller Association – Titles Announced for ABC Best Books for Young Readers Catalog
- Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature – CSMCL Best Books of 2019
- Here Wee Read – The Best 45 Diverse Children’s Books of 2019 to Read Over and Over Again
- Book Riot – 10 Baby Shower Books You Probably Haven’t Gifted Yet
★ Barrett’s lyrical poetry is enchanting, and Martinez-Neal’s artwork is as soft and round and delicate as a newborn. Her representation of each precious moment is a croon-worthy, dimpled, tiny-fisted pleasure (…) A guaranteed homerun read-aloud (…) this book is also a perfect gift for expecting friends and an ideal addition for home and public libraries. —Starred review
Martinez-Neal’s distinctive illustrations feature soft, hazy lines that convey a dreamlike quality. The muted colors of the clothing and surroundings, along with the ample use of white space, let the family’s skin tones shine with a reddish glow that can be interpreted as a blush of happiness (…) Expect this lovely gift for new parents to live by the rocking chair, helping families discover their own “babymoons.”
(…) two new parents learn the rhythms of caring for their newborn. The moments shared between the family members are tender, joyful, and sometimes anxious (…) A graceful celebration of the uncertainty and delight of new parenthood.
Arresting yet cozy illustrations and a spare, poetic text work together in this lovely book that will work well as a baby read-aloud (…) A great gift for new parents, this would make a lovely addition to any library’s baby storytime shelves.
There are a lot of comforting curves in Martinez-Neal’s sure and gentle lines and velvety-soft illustrations (…) With heartfelt honesty, both Barrett and Martinez-Neal refrain from painting a saccharine portrait of new parenthood, and toddlers old enough to sit and listen to this story will delight in considering the ways in which their parents cared for them during their first years.