Baby's First Year - Hardcover

Rick Walton became a children's writer because, after trying almost every other career in the book, he finally realized that writing for kids was one of the few things that he both enjoyed and was good at. Since that realization he has had over forty books published, with many more scheduled for publication over the next couple of years. His works include picture books, riddle books, activity books, a collection of poetry, and educational and game software. His books have been featured on the IRA Children's Choice list, on Reading rainbow, and on CBS This Morning.

Rick lives in Provo, Utah, with his wife, Ann, the brains of the household, who also writes for kids, programs computers, masters Rick's website, and does all the home repair that Rick never learned how to do. It was Ann, who grew up in a computer family and who has eight siblings and a father in the computer industry, who dragged Rick kicking and screaming into the computer age. Now Rick doesn't understand how anyone can survive without word-processing programs, e-mail, and their own website.

They have four children, all of whom are learning to love reading, writing, and computers.

In this simply illustrated picture book, an older brother observes several firsts during his younger siblings first year: Babys first day, first kiss, first smile, first crawl, first tooth. Each one is introduced with a rhyme left hanging with a pause (sometimes incorporating a page turn), leaving space for the child to guess the babys accomplishment before it is revealed: On hands and knees, / see Baby try / to grab the toy as it rolls by. / Scurrying, hurrying / after the ball. / Its our fast Babys very first . . . CRAWL! Though verbal clues are not always obvious enough for young children, the illustrations often supply the answers visually. Using ink and cut-paper collage, Church creates a series of endearing illustrations that reflect the playful tone of the text. An alternative to new baby books focused on sibling rivalry, this book offers a positive view of a babys first year. Preschool. --Carolyn Phelan