the animal kingdom and your baby

Safari animals are very important in baby’s first year. If you don’t believe me, visit your local department store and check out the kids’ clothes. Particularly the boys’ clothes. And the toys too. Monkey, elephant, tiger combo – very popular. However, not as popular as elephant, giraffe, rhino. It’s someone’s job to make rhinos look cute. Interesting when you think about it.

Perhaps the safari clothes are something akin to driving around in "off-road" vehicles and huge SUVs, just in case the suburban neighborhood suddenly reverts to its geological roots and one must drive furiously out of the jungle (formerly the Super Fresh) to the high mesa (currently occupied by Peet’s Coffee) where we’ll all have to fight off wild cheetah (Mrs. Lopez’s tomcats) to survive.

Now, when it comes to books everything changes. Clearly, stories must revolve around bunnies. Bunnies. Many, many bunnies. And these bunnies are always going to sleep. Eventually. Sleep is THE major theme in children’s literature. You might think that people are out there writing tales of virtuous bunnies, bunnies with moral lessons for your youngster. But, in fact, what we really want to instill in the next generation is to go to bed. For goddsakes child, sleep! so mommy and daddy bunny can have a good, stiff drink. After all, they’ll have to face the rhinos again in the morning.