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Marsha Diane Arnold wrote magazine articles before books, in a much-loved weekly column entitled homegrown treasures. The column was honoured three times with a California Newspaper Association's Best Local Columnist award. She has been described as someone who finds a universe in her backyard, which is what she aims to do with her picture books. Marsha enjoys sharing her love of stories in many ways, but most of all, reading to her granddaughter Grainne. She grew up on the Kansas prairies, lived in Northern California most of her life, and now, with her husband, calls Florida home. When not creating imaginative worlds and wacky characters, Marsha enjoys travelling the world, scuba diving and snorkelling, hiking, creating beautiful gardens to surrounding her home, and, like her characters, always trying new things.
The small girl narrator of this lovely book comes up with a wonderful idea when she sees everyone else busy with welcome preparations for the new baby and wonders what she can do. Can the baby hear us? she asks her mum. Yes, Emma, the baby is listening, comes the reply. She decides to share all her own favourite sounds beginning with winter's `Tinkling icicles. Whistling wind. /Slushity-slush-slush-snow. // Chattery teeth. Snowballs SPLOSH. / Sleds and skates shoosh- shooshing. // Purring kitty. Snoring dog. /Pop-pop-crackling fire./ All winter long, I share the sounds./ All the sounds, all round, all round. Come spring and there's blossom blowing in the breeze, chirping sparrows, robin's song, whirring dragonflies, clickety bikes, WHOOSHING swings, lizards skittle-scooting, rumbly thunder and more. Summer brings the sounds of bees, flies, crickets, bouncing balls, skipping chants, a water sprinkler, frogs croaking, owls hooting and campfire stories told by her dad. Then one warm summer's day Emma's mum announces, ... Today is Baby's birth day. Not long after, it's time to welcome the new family member face to face ... and come autumn Emma and her new sibling have a whole lot of new sounds to enjoy together. This is an enormously heart-warming celebration of a new baby told with sensitivity and affection. The closeness of the whole family is beautifully conveyed in Sophie Allsopp's richly hued and patterned illustrations. -- Jillrbennett * https://jillrbennett.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/a-welcome-song-for-baby/ *
