Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Wicked Big Toddlah
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Random House, 2007 ISBN: 978-0375824272
When the new baby arrives, it is soon very clear that he is not like most babies. He is enormous, and after Uncle Bert says, “That’s a wicked big toddlah ya got theyah,” everyone starts to call the baby Toddie. Toddie is so big that his family members need to tie him to the flat bed of a truck so that they can take him home from the hospital.
Not surprisingly, taking care of such an enormous baby is a huge task. Changing his diaper is excruciating. When he is able to sit up, the family are at least able to bathe him in the ocean, though they are not happy when he lifts fishing boats out of the water.
The older Toddie gets, the more challenging it is to care for him. When the family goes camping, he plays with a live moose and a bear. During blueberry picking season, he eats blueberries by the bucketful. He is so big that his greeting terrifies the family members who come over for Thanksgiving.
In this delightfully funny picture book, we meet a family who are blessed with a baby who is bigger than a house. Readers can sense how much Toddie is loved, and how much of a challenge he is at the same time. Though Toddie is so huge, his needs are much like those of any small child. Child will laugh out loud when they see the tricky situations Toddie and his family get into.
