Everybody Was a Baby Once

The irresistible duo of Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman return with an original collection of wry and playful poems for young readers.

They’re back! The inspired creators of The Runaway Dinner and The Pencil serve up a shouting, screaming, smiling, whistling, playing, chasing, rhyming romp. Nineteen impishly illustrated poems present a unique cast of babies and witches, sausages and robbers, and a few favorite nursery-rhyme characters sure to entice everybody who ever was a baby.Allan Ahlberg (1938–2025) is the acclaimed author of many books for children, including Under the Table, Previously, and The Pencil, all illustrated by Bruce Ingman. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called The Pencil “clever and suspenseful . . . a surefire delight.” His best-known series, The Jolly Postman and its sequels, has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Bruce Ingman is the award-winning illustrator of Previously, The Runaway Dinner, and The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg and Boing! by Sean Taylor. He lives in London.