Infants of different cultures and religious customs are welcomed and celebrated in a variety of ways. The text introduces babies and their families by describing each culture's welcoming tradition. Ethnicity and cultural details are reflected in the art, while the text is warm and simple. Notes conclude the book, further describing each tradition and providing additional examples.

K-Gr 2-A discussion of the various ceremonies used to greet newborns: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Hopi; Korean, Greek, Nigerian, and Latin American. Most of the methods include singing, kissing, touching, blessing, naming, dedicating, holding, and honoring the infant. Boldly painted, strongly colored double-page pictures in a combination of realism in the foreground and sketchiness in the background show the babies being cherished in special ways by family and friends. The text describes each occasion simply, with helpful amplification given in the notes at the end that identify the cultures and geographic settings represented. The obvious value and beauty of each type of welcome should expand children's appreciation for and understanding of peoples other than themselves and of the joy that new births bring.-Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA