Today, I’m excited to introduce you to the incredibly talented Lee Wardlaw and her delightful poetry book for babies, My Book of Firsts: Poems Celebrating a Baby’s Milestones. This charming collection beautifully captures the essence of those fleeting moments that parents cherish, from the first day to first steps. In addition to this wonderful book, I’m thrilled to share an insightful interview where we get to peek inside Lee’s creative process and discover the inspiration behind her writing. Join us as we explore her thoughts, techniques, and the heartfelt journey that led to the creation of this fabulous book that not only entertains but also helps to celebrate the victories in a baby’s early life!

My Review

Wardlaw, a seasoned poet, has crafted a collection of charming, bite-sized poems that capture the sheer magic of those precious baby “firsts.” Each poem is a tiny treasure, perfectly suited for little ears and developing minds.

What truly elevates this book, though, is how Wardlaw manages to pack so much emotion into such concise verses. She captures the sheer joy and wonder of those milestones with a playful touch, making even the simplest moments feel monumental.

Now, let’s talk about the art! Bruno Brogna’s illustrations have this incredible vintage charm, a classic feel that makes the book seem like a cherished heirloom, passed down through generations. The soft, warm colors and the expressive, adorable baby (animal) faces are utterly captivating.

This isn’t just a book; it’s a keepsake (with a place at the back to pen baby’s milestones (and a soft “cushy to the touch” cover). It’s the perfect gift for a baby shower, daycare, a new parent, or anyone who wants to celebrate the pure joy of babyhood.

Look inside

interview with lee wardlaw

Danna: Lee, My Book of Firsts is new, but it looks classic! What was it like working with the illustrator Bruno Brogna, and how did you feel when you saw his pictures?

Lee: Mr. Brogna and I didn’t actually work ‘together.’ Authors who are traditionally published rarely (if ever) have a say in who the artist will be or how the work will be illustrated. It’s the team at the publishing house who choose the artist, picking the creator whose unique style, medium, tone, etc., will best bring your book to life. You must put your trust in them and believe they know what they’re doing. And then you hold your breath…and hope you’ll LOVE it!

I’m delighted to say I was not disappointed. When I first glimpsed the sketches and, later, the finished art, my response was ‘Ohhhhhh!” – a breath-gushing relief and awed delight. Mr. Brogna’s illustrations are lovely, tender, endearing; a perfect complement to my poems.

Danna: I agree! Bravo, Mr. Brogna, and the whole creative team!

Danna: I love that you include a place at the back of the book for parents to write down their baby’s own “firsts.” Was this the plan when you began writing, or if not, when did you decide to include the Milestones page?

Lee: It never occurred to me to include a Milestones page. That idea came from the brilliant, foresighted folks at Red Comet Press. Yes, I recognized the manuscript’s potential for becoming a gift book, but I mostly concentrated on the poems: revising each one as a stand-alone, making sure each sounded child-like and not author-y, and arranging them in the proper order, child-development-wise (meaning, which milestones happen, and when).

Danna: Brilliant indeed!

Danna: My Book of Firsts is written in poetry. Why did you choose poetry to tell the story of a baby’s first year?

Lee: Young children find poetry inviting. Enticing. It’s language, it’s communication, it’s storytelling – but it features different rhythms, patterns, inflections from ordinary speech. The words are more playful, evocative, FUN – for both the parent to read aloud and the child to hear. Too, repetition and rhyme are invaluable in helping children learn new words, and in reinforcing vocabulary and memory. Poetry also helps foster creativity and imagination. So…win-win-win!

Danna: I love this! It’s never to early to introduce poetry to children!

Danna: Do you have a favorite poetic device you used in the book, like alliteration or repetition? If so, can you give us an example and explain why you like it?

Lee: I love all kinds of poetic devices: alliteration, repetition, consonance, metaphor, onomatopoeia. (I like the last one best because I’m enthralled with the way it sounds. Plus, it looks made up. Kind of like platypuses. I mean, they aren’t really real animals, are they?)

Here’s a verse from the poem “First Book” that features several poetic devices:

Pink pig oinks.
Hen tut-tut-clucks.
Quack-quack-laugh
the daffy ducks.

Danna: This poem is a treasure. I like that babies can grow with this book. Before long they will be memorizing (and reading) the poems.

Danna: Some of the “firsts” are very simple. How do you find poetry in those small moments?

Lee: Those moments are deceptively small and simple. To a child experiencing them, they are leaps and bounds. And to their parents watching in wonder, those ‘firsts’ are huge and momentous, as well.

But I understand what you mean; those experiences appear small when you consider the wide and winding spread of an individual’s lifespan. But aren’t ‘small moments’ what poetry is all about? You observe, with all your senses, an object or a movement or an experience or a feeling. Then you freeze it in time, condense it, distill it, using the best of words, turning it into Story; turning it from the ordinary into something extraordinary.

This is why I love the poetry of Valerie Worth. The poems in her books, such as ALL THE SMALL POEMS AND FOURTEEN MORE, hone in on The Simple. The Ordinary. Yet, her keen observations and brilliant wordplay turn ho-hum objects –  like a safety pin or a rag – into works of art. Worth’s verse even inspired me to write a poem once about the lowly toothpick!

Danna: Poetry can make everything magical!

Danna: Did you read any poetry to your children or babies you know? And if so, how did that influence your writing for this book?

Lee: I read poetry to my son all the time as he grew up, beginning with My Very First Mother Goose, edited by Iona Opie and exuberantly illustrated by Rosemary Wells. Nursery rhymes offer a lot more than hey, diddle diddles. They feature history, humor, culture, story, exaggeration, social skills, trickery, and pie. Lots and lots of pie.

When I read to my son as a baby, as a toddler, he listened. He considered. He mimicked. He chortled. And more…

When I was working on this book, several people said to me: “Why are you writing poems for babies. Babies can’t read! Babies don’t understand what you’re saying! So why bother?”

My response: “Then why even bother talking to babies? They don’t understand what you’re saying!” But talking, singing, reading to babies is how they learn. They are hard-wired to respond, to connect with human voices. And the more you talk and read, the more they will learn, the faster they will learn. By age 2, age 3, my son had the most amazing vocabulary. He still does today. And he’s a voracious reader, still, at age 28.

Danna: What a lucky boy! Reading poetry books help children and adults discover the whimsical twists of language together!

Danna: Do you think babies understand poetry in a different way than adults?

Lee: I think babies and children are more accepting of poetry. Most adults are afraid of it. I’m not sure if that’s because they don’t know how to read it aloud and are afraid they’ll read it ‘wrong’ and be laughed at…or if because they had to dissect it into millions of meaningless pieces in middle school English classes…or if they just weren’t exposed to it enough as a child to understand and appreciate its power, its pleasure, it’s beauty, its questions…

But children between the ages of birth and 3, have total sponge brains. They absorb everything easily, effortlessly, without even trying. Which means they will accept and appreciate and understand poetry not as something foreign or strange – but as simply another interesting way to express themselves to others.

Danna: Yes, as we get older fear of poetry creeps in. Books like yours are so important for the development of young minds. Children are little sponges, for sure!

Danna: Your book is like your baby. What “firsts” will you be celebrating?

Lee: This is my first poetry collection, so I’m celebrating that! And I’m celebrating the possibility of more collections down the road…

The other ‘first’ I’m celebrating is by throwing myself a completely different kind of book launch. It has a baby shower theme!  “Congratulations…It’s a BOOK!” I’m thinking we should sip wine from baby bottles, and perhaps indulge in chocolate mousse served in Gerber baby food containers. I have some silly baby shower games planned, and everyone is supposed to bring a baby photo of themselves. There will be prizes for the cutest, funniest, and grumpiest babies. Oh, and I’ve got pacifier necklaces as party favors.

AND…the ‘shower’ is also a fundraiser. I’ll be donating 30% of the book’s proceeds to a Santa Barbara organization called PEP – Post-partum Education for Parents. There will be several staff members in attendance.

I wish you lived closer so you could attend. I’d love to see what baby picture you’d share, Danna!

Danna: Oh, me too! It sounds like a bouncing good time! Eat some chocolate mousse for me! Thank you for joining me today on Poetry Pop and have fun with your new poetry bundle of joy!

What others are saying

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