Bailey and Blanket

May 20, 2022

PreS-K-Parents everywhere dread the loss of their child's favorite comfort item, and yet, they anticipate the day when their child gains independence and their immediate happiness is not so dependent on the beloved, worn item. Bailey, of no specified gender, is a biracial child with big imagination and a spirit of adventure. Bailey's Black mother and white father join in for picnics and stargazing, but the child's essential and constant companions are a beautiful red blanket and a pet cat. These three fight pirates, hide from spiders, play at the beach, read in hammocks, and enjoy tea parties. In addition to being a cozy blanket, depending on Bailey's preference Blanket can transform into a parachute, a sail, a hammock, or a tent. Disaster strikes when a dog tears Blanket to shreds, but Bailey's father can take the pieces of Blanket and make a backpack for Bailey. Bailey is adaptable enough to accept this final transformation of Blanket and can appreciate the father's loving efforts. Young children will enjoy the rhyming text and will particularly have fun finding Bailey's white cat throughout the pages. The illustrations are comfortable and colorful and show a fun-loving child and a close-knit, loving family. VERDICT A relatable and sweet story for young children, handy to have on the shelves for those facing this perennial problem.-Sally A. James

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2022
A child loses their beloved blanket...but there is a silver lining. Blanket and Bailey first "found each other" when the red "soft, cozy cover" kept Bailey warm as a newborn. As Bailey grows into a young child, Blanket becomes an attachment/comfort object that the youngster carries everywhere and uses for every imaginable purpose--as a pretend parachute, a hammock, "a magical tent" to play tea party in, and more. One day, while Bailey, Mom, and Dad are using Blanket as a picnic accessory at a lake, disaster strikes--a dog snatches Blanket and rips it to pieces. That night, Bailey falls asleep "crying, lonely, and sad." Determined to make the best of a bad situation, Dad uses the scraps of torn cloth to make "a special surprise" that will ensure Bailey and Blanket have "more happy adventures together." Readers will want to read to the end to find out what Dad creates. Although this sweet story addresses a common childhood experience that many kids will find relatable, the rhyming text feels forced, to the point of distracting from the plot. House's digital illustrations use muted colors and create interest through the use of spot art, continuous narration, and the many visual cameos of the family's cat. No gender pronouns are used in the text or on the book jacket. Mom is Black, Dad is White, and Bailey shares Mom's brown skin and Afro-textured hair. A sweet story that proves love is the best security blanket. (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 1, 2022
Preschool-Kindergarten The blanket at the heart of this story is one that is treasured by a kid from infancy into early childhood, suddenly ripped apart in a tug-of-war with a dog, leaving the child's sense of safety in tatters. The bouncy rhyming text and cheerful digital illustrations show the boy, Bailey, initially covered by the blanket in a crib and later using it as cape, pirate sail, parachute, hammock, and shelter against nighttime scares. One especially charming sequence is a page in which Bailey appears with Mom and Dad (and blanket) at four different ages in the four different seasons. When the blanket rips, Bailey fears the adventures they share are over. The resolution, in which Bailey's father works all night to repurpose the blanket into parts of a backpack, has both fairy-tale and practical elements and is a great way to demonstrate resilience. The ending illustration shows Bailey equipped with the backpack, setting off for a distant mountain.

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