The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest

 The Summer We Found the Baby  by Amy Hest. Candlewick Press, 2020. Children's chapter book.

OK, I am prejudiced toward this book. Amy Hest's When Jessie Came Across the Sea is one of my very favorite historical fiction picture books. Such a sweet story, well told and with gorgeous illustrations by Lynch. 

And, from the time that the Bobbsey Twins found Baby May, I have been hooked on finding a baby in a basket! Growing up as an only child and walking to  the public library that was in the basement of the county courthouse, I thought that finding a baby in a basket would just be the best thing that could happen to anyone. As an adult, I once confided to a friend that if I found a baby in a basket on the doorstep, I would probably just pull it in and slam the door shut! So combine Amy Hest and this sweet title and I have a real winner!

Julie and Martha's mom has died and Dad needs a place to write. He rents a beach cottage on Belle Island, Long Island, New York. The family next door have a son away fighting in WWII and a son named Bruno who is twelve. Julie is eleven and Martha is six. Hest describes each character so well that readers may think they have moved in next door, too. The three children each serve as narrators to move the story along and have their own little illustrations for their contributions: Julie, a bicycle; Martha, a dish of ice cream; and Bruno, binoculars. 

On the particular day of interest when the story begins, Bruno has received a message from his brother and is off on an important errand. But, his plans are sidetracked when he sees Julie and Martha with a baby in a basket on the steps of the brand new children's library. When they take off, he follows. And, the adventure begins. Even Eleanor Roosevelt makes an appearance!  The twenty chapters are numbered and with titles. In each chapter, the children speak individually. Adults may figure out what's happening long before children, but, trust me, just enjoy the journey. The pacing is perfect and it's easy to keep up with who's who. Parents are a big part of the story, too, but they are loving and supportive in just the right ways for the children to be independent and loved. 

Of course, it all works out. Julie's sweet maternal instincts, little Martha's precious desire for a little sister and a mother, and Bruno's hopes to be a man like his big brother all play into this summertime romp. Do not miss it. It is my favorite new book!