Prime Baby

by Gene Luen Yang

From the pages of the New York Times and the pen of Printz Award winner Gene Luen Yang comes a tale of math, aliens, and new siblings.

Thaddeus doesn’t like his new sister (she’s not that smart— and she gets all the attention). He likes her even less when he discovers that she’s an inter-dimensional conduit for peace-loving aliens (who are totally lame—all they want to do is knit socks for the homeless and have sing-a-longs!). But what’s even worse is that no one will believe him about any of this! How is he ever going manage to grow up to become the President of Earth?

First serialized in the New York Times Magazine, Prime Baby is a laugh-out-loud look at sibling rivalry.&

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Aliens

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. As the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, he advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the L.A. Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His other works include Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), Superman from DC Comics (with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). In 2016, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. His most recent books are Dragon Hoops from First Second Books and Superman Smashes the Klan from DC Comics.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thaddeus finds out that his baby sister is portal to another dimension that is letting these slug things into our world. He thinks they will be exciting and help him take over the world; they only want to spread hugs and happiness. He is disappointed.

It's not a bad story. I didn't get into the story. I think it wasn't my story. I wasn't crazy about the art either. I'm sure middle grade readers might find this delightful.

[Rosamund Hodge]

One of my favorite comics ever, and also one of the major influences on the ending of CRUEL BEAUTY.

[Kim Zarins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute baby, cute aliens...bad big brother! It's a light story done with compassion and skill. Best aspect of the book, besides the lovable aliens: Yang is not afraid to show an unsympathetic main character, and he manages to redeem him without getting syrupy about it. The mustache is a nice example of Thaddeus acting self-important with his signature new look, and yet by the end it's become so much more than that, being shared, but without becoming saccharine or emotionally fake. That was well done. My one wish is that Yang could have toned down some of the content to make it accessible for younger kids--kids who likely are going through Thaddeus' very experiences. Thaddeus is in third grade and reflects a bit on age 6 as the sad turning point of his life, because that's when his little sister was born and ruined his monopoly on his parents' attention. All these emotions feel like material for a second or third grader, yet Thaddeus is rather precocious. In his internal monologues, he proposes having a love child with a class mate, and having other similarly mature experiences. It's all dry humor, but still, third graders don't sound like this. The voice sounds like a high school boy channeling the body and emotional being of a third grader. Yet I think third graders would get a lot out of Thaddeus' core story, more perhaps than the adult audience that this book originally was created for, in serial format. Very whimsical fun for adults, though, I'll have to admit!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is adorable and funny. I feel bad for Thaddeus's parents, one of their kids is an alien gateway and the other is a psychopath.

[Mr. Lopez 7a · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a series of contrivances that include prime numbers, a new facial hair-configuration, sock-knitting aliens and a small island republic, graphic novelist Gene Yang takes the well-worn premise of a jealous older brother to its illogical, yet hilarious, conclusion. "Prime Baby" tells the story of Thaddeus K. Fong, self-described "martyr for truth," and his over-envious relationship with baby sister Maddie.

"Prime Baby" is an excellent gateway book to start off young readers into the world of graphic novels/comics as well as engage reluctant readers. While some vocabulary may evade the grasp of some children, pre-teens especially will relate to the perils of a baby usurping the alpa child's domestic tranquility.

Yang's characterization of Thaddeus is nearly flawless, as his personality is cleverly revealed by the story's 3rd panel (In my own classroom, I've used the 1st strip of this book to teach a lesson on literary characterization with students in grades 6th - 8th).

Originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine's now discontinued Funny Pages, the story was laid out four strips to a page, allowing the reader to ingest more of the plot. However, in its book form, the strips are laid out one per page, breaking the pace of the story, reducing it to the rhythm of a comic strip: setup, joke, setup, joke.

Visually, the strips are offset by generous amounts of white space, which helps readers focus on the art, as well as the wondrously muted color palette of brown, gray and orange, as colored by fellow cartoonist Derek Kirk Kim.

Infused with good-natured humor and the sarcastic musing of an over-imaginative 3rd grader, Yang never loses sight of the love that exists between brothers and sisters, no matter how many intergalactic, extra-planetary slug pods she may (or may not) spit out.

Yang's gift for the economy of storytelling, as well as his crystal-clear characterizations, makes "Prime Baby" a must-have for school libraries, classroom collections and belongs on any shelf where both great writing and comic art are valued.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Thaddeus’ parents have a new baby, he’s sure there’s something wrong with her brain – she only ever says “ga,” and he was speaking by the time he was her age. His parents think he’s just having trouble adjusting to being a brother. Then, Thaddeus learns about prime numbers in school and realizes that his little sister Maddie only “ga”s in primes – she must be an alien! He’s only slightly off-base. Maddie is actually a gateway, used by a slug-like race of aliens who are hell bent on…bringing peace and happiness to humanity. There go Thaddeus’ dreams of achieving world domination through defeat of an alien threat. Thaddeus tricks the aliens into calling in reinforcements and his parents finally discover their spaceships. The government takes Maddie into custody so they can study her (and the alien threat) and the aliens scold Thaddeus for tricking them. While Thaddeus initially feels some satisfaction from being right, he realizes that he misses his sister – she’s possibly the only one who really likes him. So, he finds a discarded alien ship, pretends that he, too, is afflicted (and infected) with aliens and is also confiscated by the government. Thaddeus is reunited with his sister, the aliens continue their mission, and all’s well that ends well!

I didn’t really care for Thaddeus initially – he’s awfully selfish and doesn’t seem to care about anyone else’s feelings (socially awkward, doesn’t seem to understand others’ emotions). He plans to break his classmate’s (Rosie) heart when they’re older and mentions her mother is built like a brick house. Hm. Cavalier much? The slug invaders are AWESOME, though – they have pointy teeth and cheerful dispositions. Amusing story and illustrations. It’s nice to see Thaddeus grow as a character.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thaddeus K. Fong can't understand why everybody is so crazy over his new baby sister, Maddie. His annoyance at her inability to say anything other than "ga" turns into amazement at the discovery that these "ga's" come in sets of prime numbers. The only logical explanation for this: she must be an alien.

Thaddeus' discovery is met with mockery, but he finds his proof when Maddie starts spitting up space pods holding small slug-like creatures, bent on world domination! Actually, they're missionaries of smiles and happy feelings, and Maddie's mouth is an inter-dimensional portal through which they travel. Imagine Thaddeus and Maddie's parents' concern when she starts spewing pods left and right. They bring in the government, and quarantine little Maddie for observation. Finally, Thaddeus is an only child again, and his parents are so distraught over their daughter's strange condition that they don't even notice the credit card bills he's racking up. Something's missing, though...

Very charming, very funny story about a boy's fantastic reality, dealing with a new sibling, and independence vs. loneliness. Presented as a three-panel comic strip series, the story works as a set of jokes cohered into a single storyline just as well as it does as a standalone graphic novel.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally adorable and completely unique sibling rivalry story by teacher and graphic novel/comic artist of American Born Chinese fame, Gene Luen Yang. Adorable aliens figure in the story, too, in a very unique and surprising way. Kid story, maybe for tweens if not teens, but the dialogue is terrific for any age. Briefly, Thaddeus becomes convinced by her language that is baby sister is an alien, part of an alien invasion... cute, but smart and inventive and thoughtful, sweet. Yang is the real deal.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some adult-like humor may push this very charming little tale into teen territory, which is where Gene Yang usually lives, so that's fine, of course. But the subject matter - an 8 year old boy dealing with his new baby sister and the intergalactic love slugs who hitch a ride to earth through her - makes me want to give it to younger readers. Anyway, love the art as always, love the colors, giggled through the story.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many older siblings think the new baby is an alien - but what if you had empirical evidence to support your claim? Thaddeus thinks he does, but he's having a hard time convincing anyone.

The premise is interesting, but the ending fell a little flat to me.

The slugs remind me of some I've seen in a different context. If you know where, please enlighten me! Maybe Jason's in Foxtrot? Or maybe all cartoon slugs come out the same...

[Joseph Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat cute book about a boy struggling with having a new sister, who turns out to be an alien gateway. It's a little hard to relate to the main kid unless you're still 10, as he's kind of a brat throughout the entire book. He somewhat redeems himself, but then we're left with no conclusion for everything else. Abrupt end.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, simple, and very sweet book about an 8-year old who longs to be a dictator, and perhaps discovers a way to save/take over the world when he realizes his baby sister has ties to an alien world. I wish this book was a little bit longer, as I enjoyed the characters very much.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, with some of the most endearing space aliens you could ever hope to see.

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel, deceptively simple, is brilliant. I'll talk about it more when it is officially released.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute! Short, sweet, with a heartwarming ending.
This is a "classic" older child convinced his baby sister is an alien story, with an original twist, and a sweet message. Great for kids!

[marvellings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight-year-old Thaddeus K. Fong isn't such a big fan of his pesky little baby sister. Maddie gets all the attention, and Thaddeus is convinced there's something weird about her. One day in math class, he has an idea. After some observation, he's confirmed his theory: Maddie only makes ga-ga noises in patterns of prime numbers. Obviously, she's an alien.

It turns out Thaddeus is wrong, but not that wrong. Maddie is actually a conduit for aliens from another dimension. These aliens, much to Thaddeus's dismay, don't want to take over Earth. They really just want to bring smiles and happy feelings to everyone. Thaddeus is not impressed. How is he going to become President of Planet Earth when there are no interstellar battles to fight, and his parents won't even listen to him?

This was laugh-out-loud funny and absolutely adorable. It's nice to see Thaddeus, a largely unsympathetic character, get some growth by the end, as the aliens teach him a little bit about human feelings. Thaddeus learns his lesson but still gets an adventure, Maddie gets some love from her older brother, and the aliens get to continue carrying out their mission. Poor Mr. and Mrs. Fong get the short end, though, as I'm sure Thaddeus and Maddie will be getting into years and years of trouble together, now that they've teamed up.

[Bant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had a bit of a love hate relationship with Gene Yang. He's a great guy. I heard him speak, and he is awesome. Awesome! I mean, he kept his job as a teacher after becoming a pretty popular graphic artist? That is stand-up. I like both his books that are available to a large degree. I like the art in American Born Chinese and I appreciate what they were trying to do in The Eternal Smile, even though I really only like one of the stories. His writing has always been his weak point for me. It was always almost there, showing glimpses of something better.

However, Prime Baby has cleared that hurdle for me. The art is great as always, but the story and writing are clever, funny, and honest (sorry, honest is a go to word lately.)

Anyway. The story is about Thaddeus Fong, who wants to be president of the world, and his struggles coping with his baby sister. He's jealous, as most eight year olds might be. But he's also convinced there's something wrong with her, either she's dumb or a space alien. Prime Baby captures that jealousy that has been explored other places in the past, but it feels fresher and far more accurate, even if it is goofier. The book is often surprising, always charming, and has a great gag about a stutterer who beat Thaddeus at a spelling bee.

Fun. Fun. Fun. Fun read!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was cracking up as I read this brief but brilliant volume. The scenario of an older sibling being jealous of a new sibling is familiar enough, as is the precocious child character. But the novel takes unexpected and hilarious turns as the baby ends up being a gateway between dimensions which aliens slip through. Thaddeus hopes that this will mean an exciting apocalyptic confrontation but they turn out to be "Missionaries of smiles and happy feelings" and even when he kills one of them, they just forgive him. One of my favorite panels is one of Thaddeus sitting in time out after calling his sister dumb. The caption reads "Thaddeus K. Fong: Martyr for Truth" and while most 8 year olds probably wouldn't use the word 'martyr' the childish sense of keen injustice over the incident is spot-on. Other details like Thaddeus's goal of having a facial hair style named after him (and drawing it on with marker while he waits for hair to grow) and the aliens' fascination with Connan O'Brien kept me laughing the whole time. Anyone who enjoys reading about precocious evil geniuses and is looking for something quick to make them laugh will enjoy this comic. Even though the main character is eight though I'd save it for middle schoolers at least.

Read more of my reviews at auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an odd, odd book. It was pretty hilarious. I really liked it a lot. I say it that way because it was rather strange. The story's progressing and going on, and as I read it I kept thinking, "did that really just happen?"

This is by Gene Luen Yang the same author of the celebrated book American Born Chinese.

Prime Baby, however is all about a baby that only ga's (says ga ga) in prime numbers. Not as powerful a message, if you know what I mean... but plenty funny.

I was actually this *holds index finger a millimeter above thumb* close to writing the publisher to see if I could use an image for this review. But heck, I figured it'd take too much time.

Thaddeus's thought after his teacher asks him, "Thaddeus, can you tell us what comes next?"

"Mr. Miller, you ridiculous little man. As if anything you say has any value to me whatsoever."

As a teacher, I took solace in that phrase. Sometimes I picture students thinking that exact same thing - even though I'm 6'5". It's nice to know I'm not alone...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thaddeus hates his new baby sister. He comes up with a conspiracy theory that she is an alien because she says "ga" in prime numbers (she'll say it once, twice, three times, five times, etc). He starts monitoring her closely, interpreting everything she does as evidence that she is an alien. His sister loves the time they spend together and babbles to him even more. Then one day, she starts puking up these rather large capsules, which are actually space ships for an alien race hellbent on bringing peace and happiness to Earth! Thaddeus is vindicated. He was right! He tells his parents, he tells the FBI, he tells everyone! Then his sister is taken away to be studied....

I loved this comic. It's pretty short, but such a cool take on sibling rivalry. Very different from the author's other work and I liked it the best, maybe because it's more for kids.

Read my full review at http://respectablecollection.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/prime-baby/.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's be honest here. With all the endless crying and screaming, white liquids with bits oozing from its mouths and noises and all kinds of unmentionable smells wafting from its diaper, how many of us honestly thought our baby sister/brother was actually an alien? In Thaddeus' case, he is absolutely convinced that his baby sister is simply that--an extraterrestrial life form. Unfortunately, no one believes him, including his parents who try to pacify him by giving him access to their credit card. So what happens when the aliens finally appear courtesy of his sister acting an inter-dimensional conduit? Will Thaddeus save the day or will he turn his back on everyone who ignored his warnings?

Read a cute graphic novel that was funny and upbeat.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thaddeus' sister Maddie is not talking yet; all she says is "ga" over and over again. When Thaddeus starts counting the ga's, he realizes that it only adds up to prime numbers. He's convinced that Maddie is an alien, though no one else believes him. Then, she starts spitting up spaceships and Thaddeus is finally able to prove to everyone that his sister is possessed by creatures from outer space. When Maddie is taken away for observation, Thaddeus starts to wonder if he really did the right thing.

You really can't go wrong with Yang's work. The way he takes a universal concept, this time being sibling jealousy, and adds some science fiction and a bit of humor to the mix, it just creates a recipe for success. He is an ingenious storyteller that should never stop writing.

[Myrza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yang, G. L. (2010). Prime Baby. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Jealous little boy named Thaddeus doesn’t like his new baby sister and is constantly saying rude and absurd things about her. He puts in his mind that she is an alien by the ga ga’s that she says and the toys she spits out. This young man with his crazy selfish imagination causes quite a problem for his family. Thaddeus realizes how his sister might feel all alone in that place, especially when it’s his fault she’s there in the first place. He tries to make it better, in his crazy own way. I enjoyed the illustrations and the author’s great job with his choice of words, as I was annoyed with this jealous crazy little boy.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prime Baby by Gene Yang is a quick and fun graphic novel that deals with issues of sibling rivalry and feelings of loneliness. A young teenager Thaddeus Fong expresses his frustration upon the new arrival of his baby sister. He shares with readers how his family begins to forget about him as they became overconsumed in the "newness" of his sister. The main character learns that his sister is alien and attempts to save the world. The text concludes with Thaddeus and his sister finding out they have more in common than expected. The book is a great read for kids who are dealing with issues of isolation and yearn for a sense of belonging.

[Matisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short story equivalent of a graphic novel (what is that, like...a normal comic book?), 'Prime Baby' is Gene Luen Yang writing a doofy little thing about growing up with a baby sibling. It's the kind of book that doesn't resolve anything related to its quirky science fiction elements. We'll never know where the aliens came from, why they're coming through the protagonist's sister, and why they're so chill to be around. We just know that the two leads are getting along, and that's all the story was truly concerned with telling.

I also love Yang's sense of humor. The 'beat panel' is used to great effect. 10/10 Yang is a god, but we already knew this.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of strips by the award-winning Yang is a bit darker and more sarcastic than his other works. A patron in my library system complained that it should be YA due to content. The older brother's extreme annoyance of his baby sister could almost be called hatred. When his close observations of her lead him to believe that she's an alien being, he's ostracized at school. But when she actually starts spitting out little alien pods, the plot gets even weirder.

I think the snarky humor is similar to that of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, another juvenile classic.

I will test this book on my 10 year old.

[Emmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some authors where I love everything they write. This is not one of those authors. I find that I'm either wildly entertained or disappointed. This time around I was disappointed. It was not a bad book, but it certainly didn't wow me, either. And I was not a fan of the ending. Thaddeus learns to accept and love his little sister (yay!) but now both of them are stuck in an experimental government facility. Wow, what a way to end a story. It just left me feeling lackluster and even a bit uncomfortable. Will they stay there forever? What's going on? So, yeah...

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute tale about a mean big brother who thinks his annoying little sister is an alien. Well... turns out he's sort of right! She's actually a gateway between dimensions, allowing aliens to enter our realm by, basically, being blarfed out of her mouth, tiny little space-ships and all. Big brother's dreams of saving the planet or gaining world dominion are dashed, however, when the aliens in question turn out to be missionaries, wanting only to spread the word to the world about smiles and happy feelings. Needless to say, big brother does some more rude things to his precious little baby sister, but sibling love does come through in the end.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great, though at first Theodore (I think that's his name), the protagonist, was extremely unlikeable--rather like Greg Heffley of the Wimpy Kid books, totally self-involved and assuming the world revolved around him. Things get shaken up when his parents have a new baby and pay less attention to him, but that's not Theodore's only problem. He is convinced that his baby sister is an alien, and sets out to prove it. He's wrong, of course...but not entirely.

I ended up liking this a lot, particularly because the ending wasn't what you'd expect. Perhaps a sequel is in the works...

[Eva Mitnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to classify, as it looks like a book for little kids, features a precocious 8-year-old protagonist, and yet is best enjoyed by older kids and teens. Is Thaddeus just jealous, or his baby sister actually an alien communicating by using prime numbers? A little of both, and more! There are some terrific lines, some very dry humor, and intriguing characters (Thaddeus' yoga and Oprah-addicted mom cracks me up). Thaddeus is one nerdy, annoying, but outrageously smart (and in this case, perceptive) 8-year-old Chinese-American kid.