Up!: How Families Around the World Carry Their Little Ones

by Susan Hughes, Ashley Barron (Illustrator)

Around the world, little ones are carried in many different ways: in slings, on shoulders, in backpacks, on hips, in baskets, and in loving arms. Up! depicts ten places around the world, from Afghanistan to northern Canada, Peru to West Africa. In each place, a mom, dad, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or sibling lovingly carries a baby.

With various family configurations and settings ranging from a busy outdoor market to a high-rise apartment kitchen, the book wholeheartedly celebrates diversity. Gorgeous cut-paper collage art adds warmth and brightness, and brings the lyrical text to life. Repetition of the phrase “Upsy-daisy” on each spread lends familiarity, and reminds readers that love for a little one is a universal feeling.

LEVELING
Grade Range: Pre-K–2
Fountas & Pinnell: I
Reading Recovery: 15
Lexile: AD 400L

COMMON CORE
L.1.5,5b,5c,5d,6
W.1.1,2,3,5,6,7,8
RF.1.1,2,3,3f,3g,4,4a,4c
L.1.1,1b,1d,1g,1I,1j,2,2a,4,4c
RI.1.1,2,3,4,6,7,8,10
SL.1.1,1b,1c,2,3,4,5,6

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Cultural, Childrens, Storytime, Nonfiction, Juvenile

24 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 2017

About the author

Susan Hughes is an award-winning writer of over 30 children's books. She is also a freelance editor and story coach. For more information about Susan's writing process and editing services, or to contact her, refer to her website, which is www.susanhughes.ca.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped for more from this book. I wanted to know where in the world each illustration represented. I also wanted to know the reasoning behind the carrying method; was there a practical, cultural, or historical significance? More information on the object used - why a sling or basket?

There is not much text in this book and it is definitely an entertaining picture book rather than an educational one. The title led me to believe this would be more of an educational read. I would do as another reviewer suggested and change the title to Up or Upsy Daisy. That change would convey the book's intended audience better. On the plus side the illustrations are wonderful.

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★

“From West Africa to Peru, from Egypt to Canada’s Far North, from Korea to India, from Poland to China and Afghanistan and the place you call home, all around the world, families carry their babies in many different ways. Come join us and see…”

Clever, colourful collage brings the illustrations of this cute book to life. When the author says “families” she means everybody. This shows parents, grandparents, cousins, big sisters, Dad in a wheelchair – all different colours and ages.

And when she says “around the world” she shows us a baby in the hood of Granny’s Eskimo parka, a baby in sari-clad Auntie’s sling, and two little ones in the baskets at each end of a pole carried across Chinese uncle’s shoulders.

The people and backgrounds are international, but the language is all English, and the catch-phrase is “Upsy-Daisy” as each person lifts and carries the tot.

Very cute, and I think all families and carers of young kids will find a page that a child can relate to. And I think anything that celebrates all the things we have in common – looking after our little ones – is to be commended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for a preview copy.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The collage illustrations in this book are gorgeous, and probably the highlight of the book. I was looking forward to seeing the various ways in which people around the world carry their babies, and while that was shown, I feel like I didn't learn much. Part of the problem is the sparse text. None of the locations or cultures are actually named, so you have to guess at where they're supposed to be. (I can see how adding that would've cluttered up the text, but a page of notes at the end detailing the various locations would've been nice.)

Aside from perhaps making children want to haul around their baby sibling in a basket hanging from a pole, this is probably a safe bet for a book that young kids are going to enjoy. There are plenty of cute babies and colourful locations to look at.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing a digital ARC.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book depicting various family makeups as well as diversity. Using babies and how they are carried, they show families from around the world. The illustrations are wonderful. They are done by cutting and pasting layers of paper and it makes them look three-dimensional. This is a good book for family libraries as well as kits in a school library when teaching about diversity and multiculturalism. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via netgalley.

[Sue Mosher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations take us around the world to see how various people carry babies in various ways.

[Michelle Kadarusman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me yearn for a toddler to share it with! Love the simple lyrical text and the collage illustrations are exquisite. Thoughtful diversity wrapped up in a baby hug.

[Jessica Furtado · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was initially excited about this book when I read the description, but unfortunately it failed to live up to expectations. I hoped it would share a little more information or give a glimpse into each culture that is represented in the book, but the text is very watered down and the reader must rely on the illustrations alone to get a feel for each country's culture. The book also doesn't tell readers which country is being represented on each page, and while adults can likely figure this out for themselves, the target age group will not be able to do so. It's a nice book for opening up discussions about how people all over the world share the same experiences in different ways, but it lacks the detail that one would hope for.

[Maggie61 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Babies love books about babies. They love to point and identify the baby in the picture. It does show various ways around the world that babies are carried and there are plenty of pictures of babies that will amuse babies being read to/looking at pictures.
I didn’t find a lot of substance to this book and didn’t really care for the illustrations but for a baby looking at other babies, they may like it. Being sold as a board book is great as babies themselves can look at the book on their own whether or not they get much out of the book itself.
Thanks to the publisher and net galley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book by sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying to shows us how people around the world carry their baby with them, this book completely failed the cultural aspect it try to bring. Yes it shows us some people carrying baby, but there’s nothing much to it. It lacks a big something to make this book worth it, because like it is, it felt very empty!

[Marissa Elera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright, cheerful, inclusive artwork meets lovely text.

[kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE perfect baby storytime book. I'm kind of mad that I can't use it over and over again every week.
1. The text prompts interaction between caregivers and babies.
2. The illustrations feature all different kinds of families and cultures.

I wish more books like this existed.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collage illustrations with a great look into our global world.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming story that both young and old will find delightful. Babies are celebrated by showing the care and love they receive from caregivers, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents on a global scale. Diversity reigns and the author and illustrator have done a magnificent job of showing the different carrying styles of these amazing bundles of joy. Some are carried in slings, on shoulders, in backpacks, on hips, in baskets, and of course snuggled tenderly in arms.

Families carry their babies in a variety of ways. Each and every infant is wrapped in an aura of love that brings them peace, comfort and an unmistakable sense of protection and safety.

The cut-paper collages are stunning and elevate the story to the highest level. Kids will love the repetitive phrase 'upsy-daisy, baby' that winds its way throughout the narrative. It is a testament to all that these little ones are truly special and are handled with TLC and deemed treasures all over the world. I highly recommend this book.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an advance copy of this book from Net Galley in return for my honest and fair review. *

This is a fabulous book. I love it. The illustrations are beautiful and display a tremendous amount of diversity of different types of families and different family members - without being too in your face about it. That's the beauty of this book. The characters are all different colors and races and the family makeup is so variably structured that it just shines through. This is where we are in terms of needing to address these - not make it a big deal, but highlight it as part of "everyday normal."
I love this book. I can't wait until it comes out in paper so I can read it to my two year old - and he can find someone that looks like him in a biracial family.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about the different ways babies are carried in different parts of the world. While I think it is a little short on the variety of ways babies are carried, the book more than makes up for this shortcoming with the introduction of a variety of relationships between babies and various family members. The words are simple and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I love this book as it depicts kids from all over the world and how they are cared for. Simple language and nice pictures help create an interesting read for young children. Would be a good book for a multicultural family kit.

[Jennifer Miera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other than the front cover flap, this book doesn't identify what part of the world each baby/family is from. I felt like back-matter could have been added to identify and explain different cultural practices of baby carrying. I liked the paper-cut illustrations, but the text didn't do much for me.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I think the title needs shorted to just be Up, or Upsy Daisy. It is a look at various ways babies are carried. It has nice artwork, a nice story, and is visually pleasing.

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cut paper illustrations are absolutely stunning! Love the inclusive aspect of this book!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

All around the world, families use different ways of carrying their children. This book travels the globe, showing widely diverse families and how they hold their babies close. There are babies being carried in arms, others in shawls, still others in parka hoods. Baby carriers can be used in different ways, whether you are father or brother and if you are differently abled. Baskets and shoulder rides are also shown. Up we go!

Hughes has chosen a wide range of baby carriers in her prose. She keeps it deliberately simple, making it a book that can be happily shared with little ones. The small format of the book also helps make it approachable. Only a little prose is given on each page, the brisk pace and changing scenes keeping the book very lively. It has a lovely bounce to the text, a sway like holding a baby on your hip or bouncing them merrily along.

Barron’s illustrations embrace the diversity and add to it. She has people of a wide range of races and religions on the page. The images are done in cut-paper collage and have a simplicity but also fully depict that part of the world. The crisp lines and bright colors add to the appeal for little ones.

A grand picture book that I hope gets made into a board book as well, this is a jolly journey through babies and how they are carried. Appropriate for ages 1-4.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

diverse picture book (world cultures, new baby for older siblings?; for preschoolers 3 and up)
* prominently features diverse characters: families from around the world, babies being carried by various family members from what can be interpreted as single-mother households, grandma- or grandpa-as-caretaker households (grandpa is wearing a turban and the little girl sibling is wearing a headscarf), single dad (in a wheelchair) households, adoptive auntie/uncle households--or they can be interpreted in the nuclear family way. The final spread shows a biracial family.
* woulld work for preschool storytime -- the text is too long for toddlers, but this might work for a "new baby coming" theme to prep kids for a younger sibling, or it could work well as a one-on-one readaloud. All of the caretakers say "upsy daisy" when they lift their little ones up, which seems both quaintly cute but also overly generic. I guess I'm ok with it, though doing different voices can be tricky because accents are hard to do correctly and probably best avoided... something to consider.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's face it, babies like to look at books that show babies, and what better way to show babies, than the different ways to carry babies around the world.





This very simple picture book/boardbook is for babies to look at, and find themselves. There are babies being carried in baby packs, and being carried in slings. There are babies being carried in as many different ways as you can think of.

Cute representation of different places around the world, as well as cultures.

But, it is a board book/picture book, and very simple, so there really isn't a plot.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Haley Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book depicts the celebration of diversity in all forms while simultaneously exploring cultures around the world. Beginning with a brief description of which countries will be featured, each page follows showcases a different family member and how they carry around their baby. Whether it is an auntie in India using a sling, a grandmother in the Far North with a parka, or an uncle with twins in baskets on a shoulder pole in China. I would recommend that younger children, ranging from pre-school to 2nd grade, read this book. This book is great for teaching our young children a wonderful message: around the world children are carried in all different ways, but everywhere they are carried with love.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally released in 2017 as Up!, Upsy-Daisy, Baby! is the board book release for this adorable story of how cultures all over the world carry their babies. Cut-paper collages illustrate families from 10 locations around the world, from Afghanistan to Peru, from Canada to West Africa. Family members all care for the little ones in their lives: grandparents, cousins, siblings, moms, and dads alike. The illustrations are eye-catching, with bold, primary colors and bold fonts. Perfect for cuddle time storytime and lapsits. Pair this with Star Bright's board book, Llévame, which uses photos of multicultural babies to communicate the same snuggly message.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Bright, colorful artwork showing families around the world. Diversity is shown through setting, clothing, skin colors, ways to carry baby, family members, and a father in a wheelchair. Nice repetition for sharing with a young listener.

I'm not as taken by the use of "upsy-daisy" over and over. The repetition is good but my guess is that phrase is used in by English speakers and not what other cultures say. It would have been nice to have language fit the variety of locations.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snapshots around the world done in collage of cut, painted paper are too simplified, and therefore not as appreciated as actual photographs would have been.

There isn't enough cohesion nor enough variety. It's just middling.

Happy images of babies in different scenes might be enough for a board book, but this isn't enough for non-fiction; the subtitle is therefore misleading.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved this! The girls know that we used baby carriers and slings with both of them and they have a carrier for their dolls, so they were interested. The illustrations are great and the book covers a variety of different options and cultures and emphasizes both male and female relatives doing the caring of the babies.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This simple and easy to follow book features families from around the world and the different ways they carry their babies. I really loved the different types of families presented. Toddler and up.

[A Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that the children in this book are not only carried in different ways (a shawl, a carrier, a sling, etc), but also by different people (parents, uncles, aunts, siblings, etc). The diversity shown in the illustrations were expected based on the title, but nice to see regardless.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

What you see is what you get. This book is about how people around the world carry their little ones. Some might be familiar to kids in the US/Canada and others might be unique. The pictures are bright and beautiful. This might be good for a lapsit storytime.