Baby Journal
Edited and with illustrations by Yasmeen Ismail. The first year of parenthood is a momentous one, to say the least. A tiny, hapless being emerges and, over the course of what seems mere moments, quadruples in weight, trebles in height, learns to walk, learns to talk, goes to school and is soon asking you to buy her an iPhone. Since it is hard to slow down the clock, documenting the journey is invaluable. Baby Journal makes a refreshing change from the usual saccharine fare that is peddled to new parents. With vibrant watercolors by successful illustrator and British Animation Award-winner Yasmeen Ismail, the journal is beautifully and distinctively produced, printed on various paper stocks that are interleaved with one another and include little envelopes in which to place mementos, such as a leaf from a walk in the park, a lock of hair or a flyer from the first exhibition you took your son or daughter to. Ismail has a wonderful eye for color, detail and composition, and her watercolors provide the perfect frames for thought and reflection. Playful and interactive and somewhat akin to Cicada’s Draw Me a House, Baby Journal is the perfect gift for new parents who have managed to stave off--however temporarily!--a crisis of style. |
