Cari Best
Although I was born in a big city, grew up in a big city, went to every school I ever went to in a big city, and write about kids in big cities, I myself am happiest in the country.
I live in an old house surrounded by old stones and trees with a narrow river behind it. In the summer, the river has fish, otters, turtles, frogs, birds and neighborhood kids swimming in it. In the winter, sometimes the river freezes so hard that the deer can walk across it as well as raccoons, foxes and those same neighborhood kids. I am so lucky that there is always something so dazzling to look at in my own backyard - that I feel like I am on vacation every day.
I used to write about myself as a child being shy, (Shrinking Violet) riding my bike, (Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen) playing ball (Last Licks), and celebrating my grandmother's birthday (Three Cheers for Catherine the Great). But now I find that it is so much more fun to write about the great kids I meet (My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay) - or the ones that I already know (This Baby, That Baby).
I have been a translator of French, a children's librarian, an editorial director at a film company and now a very happy writer who loves packets of seeds for birthdays, walking in forests, finding rare seashells around the world, eating pistachio ice cream, but most of all - babies.
Reviews
This Baby, That Baby
“A jaunty, rhythmic text sets the mood for considering similarities and differences among people . . . Rich, textured mixed-media art showcases an urban environment full of color, music, and life. The two babies set about their similarly structured but individual days. They both like games and songs, but not the same ones. They both require frequent diaper changes, get hungry, and need naps. The illustrations create humorous distinctions in the parallel routines, and the well-paced story offers plenty of room to pause and notice these details. When one baby’s nap ends in tears and the other’s failed nap ends in grumpiness, both are whisked out for walks headed in opposite directions. In an appropriate conclusion to this cheerful compare-and-contrast story, the babies end up at the same park bench, each delighted to see the other.”—The Horn Book
“Best (Bug Off!) opens this double infant portrait with two babies greeting each other from their respective fifth-floor apartment windows, “somewhere/ in the big, big city/ across a beep-beep street.” One infant, “this baby,” has dark brown skin and curly black hair that “bounces when he giggles.” The other, “that baby,” has light brown skin and sports a floppy red hat that “falls off/ when she wiggles.” Via stylized multimedia spreads predominated by browns, blues, and reds, Kheiriyeh (A Persian Passover) draws this baby and his mama, who “sing about a baby whale,” and that baby and her papa, who sing “the baby shark song.” Across the street from one another, they have their diapers changed, eat, and respond to nap time. And when both parent/child duos head to the park, “Look who’s here!” and “Look who’s there!” This buoyant slice-of-life tale interweaves the duo’s temperamental differences, love of joyful noise, and patient caregivers against the background of a city’s cheerful hubbub, underscoring the ways that proximity can contribute to relationships and interactions.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Two babies, two lives, and a special day of shared greetings and friendships. ‘Somewhere / in the big, big city / across a beep-beep street / along two bumpy sidewalks’ live this baby and that baby, who greet each other from opposite-facing apartment windows. This baby has deep brown skin and “a lot of curly black hair,” similar to his Mama’s. That baby has beige skin and straight dark hair, similar to her Papa’s. Together the babies lead boisterous, bouncy lives in which they eat (definitely!), nap (eventually!), and play (always!). Their loving, watchful single parents take them on a walk through the neighborhood to a playdate at the park, in a spread designed like a map that invites readers to follow their adventures. Lending itself to multiple readings, Best’s effervescent text captures the peppy rhythms on each detail-packed spread, often split between this baby’s experience (on the left page) and that baby’s (on the right). Using a classic throwback palette of muted reds and blues, set against a cream background, Kheiriyeh’s illustrations are endearingly hilarious (especially a spread on which Papa seems aggrieved at the frequency at which he needs to change his little one’s diaper). The parallel lives of these two families reverberate with a sense of community and camaraderie desperately needed in today’s divided world, accompanied by a soundtrack of giggles, wails, and banging drums. Utterly irresistible.”—Kirkus, Starred Review
My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay
“A glimpse at blindness, friendship, and perseverance. Zulay’s voice shines with rhythm and sensory detail.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“Refreshing and exciting”—The New York Times
I’m Brave! I’m Strong! I’m Five!
“Stands out for its ability to break down bravery into small, manageable steps…Readers will joyfully join in the refrain…A first purchase for libraries serving young children.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Equal parts sincere and entertaining, this is a story that affirms and empowers children as they face their own bedtime fears.”—The Horn Book
Three Cheers for Catherine the Great
An ALA Notable Book
Booklist Editor’s Choice
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
“In lively, lyrical prose, Best celebrates a special family relationship and conveys the unique challenges and joys of an immigrant’s new life.”—Booklist, Starred Review
Sally Jean the Bicycle Queen
“Sally Jean is a real charmer, and children will appreciate her resourcefulness and tenacity.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review / A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Shrinking Violet
“Best makes a strong but subtle case for shyness being understood and accommodated instead of judged.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review/A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Goose’s Story
“Best’s simple prose is rhythmic and beautiful, more poetic than much of the so-called free verse in many children’s books.”—Booklist, Starred Review