Sam Mac (text) and Deb Hudson (illustrator), Suddenly One, Penguin Random House, September 2024, RRP $19.99, (hbk), ISBN 9781761347849
Suddenly One is a lovely book, sure to engage parents about that first year of a baby’s life. It burrows into ‘instant nostalgia’. You forget the sleepless nights, that lost dummy scenario, that desperate trip to the hospital and all the challenges of the most loved baby in the world. The beautiful illustrations enhance the nostalgia and the sense of awe in that first year of a baby’s life. Then the inevitable happens. But in the blink of an eye, firsts become lasts. The new year is filled with growth and exploration of the exciting world opening up to them, when you’re walking. Tomorrow you’ll run.
This is a book that parents will love as they insert their baby’s name and photographs in it. Parents can share the firsts with their babies as they grow older and celebrate each step towards inevitable independence. It opens discussions about being one. As the children get older, start saying words, toddlers see themselves and how they have grown.
It is suitable for ages up to 3.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Susanne Gervay
