Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsAdorable book, super appealing!
Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2020
Edit: the book has now been changed - the racist undertones are not present in the more recent edition.
My baby is OBSESSED with this book. Absolutely loves all the different faces and the mirror at the back. I love that it introduces emotions, as I want to raise an emotionally intelligent child. I also love that the babies included are diverse, as I want to ensure my child is exposed to a wide range of other people.
However, after paying closer attention to the book, I've realized that it's deeply problematic. All the white babies in the book are happy or surprised or silly. The babies of colour are the only ones that are sad/angry. Since the faces change on each double page, I figured that at very least, the white baby who is featured as the "happy" baby would be sad/angry/etc on other pages. Nope! White baby is always happy. The babies of colour do have happy faces on some pages, but it's still hugely problematic. It's not acceptable that it's racially stigmatizing.
