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Apr 09, 2015JCLChrisK rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
From premise to execution, Mustache Baby is absurdly silly yet authentically real fun. What does it mean when Baby Billy is born with a mustache? “‘Well, it depends,’ the nurse said. ‘You’ll have to wait and see whether it is a good-guy mustache or a bad-guy mustache.’" Then the scenarios playfully play out. Billy’s mustache changes as he becomes a law-upholding cowboy, a circus ringleader, a Spanish painter, and more. Eventually, the ends of his mustache grow long and curly, leading to a crime spree that lands him in jail. While the fun, flowing, and folksy text—“with his cop badge, Billy was one tough hombre”—describes big, adventurous roles—“a train robber so heartless that he even stole the tracks”—the illustrations dramatically depict everyday, pretend preschooler versions of the events described. As a cop, the “speeding traffic” Billy stops is older kids biking and skating on the sidewalk; the train and tracks he steal are a play set; and “jail” is time out in Billy’s crib, slats gripped desperately like prison bars. It’s a great match of words and pictures that complement, supplement, and expand each other.