Benny & Beautiful Baby Delilah (review)

When his parents coo over the beauty of the new baby, older brother Benny isn't buying it: "Beautiful was a red fire truck. Beautiful was a Tyrannosaurus rex." His worst suspicions are confirmed when Delilah proves to be a disappointing playmate, an attention magnet, and a usurper of parental time. She's also a big-time crier ("I told you," says Benny to his parents), but it's Benny's monkey face that finally convinces her to cease her wailing and smile. Benny's sudden willingness to acknowledge his little sister's beauty is pushing credibility, but relief at a suddenly peaceful baby will certainly induce all kinds of euphoria, and the text is otherwise pitch-perfect in its homely details and grumpy, honest resentment. Pham's black planes and lines have the sculptural modeling of linocuts but the fluidity of brushwork; planes of solid, retro-flavored tones of slate blue, olive green, harvest gold, and terra cotta are mottled with gentle shadings and decorated with occasional patterns. The result is a quirky and individual mixed-race family beaming—or, in Delilah's case, screaming—with personality and transparently conveying emotions to which audiences will immediately relate. Like Danziger's Barfburger Baby, I Was Here First (BCCB 10/04), this offers a reassuring yet comic take on dethronement that allows older siblings to consider the possibility of thawing while discovering that they're not alone in their resistance.