Lil Baby is a children's book by H.A. Rey and Mildred Jeter Harrison. In the book, an abandoned baby elephant grows up in the California wilds. The lil baby learns to identify several different types of trees from his experiences with the wind. In some sections, he learns to interpret the wind's messages for himself. While riding atop a gentle breeze, he even becomes a bronco and performs wild dances on the ground. Based on the book, gentle winds - like a California breeze - seem to bring on emotions of wonder and joy.
The very first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a California breeze is… cool! The cool breeze that precedes the lil baby seems to epitomize the lil baby's sensibilities. He describes it as 'soft and cool' in one section of the book. He also feels it has a 'sweet, sweet smell' that reminds him of 'the flowers in his mother's garden.' When this wind picks up, it seems to carry with it elements of childhood nostalgia and comfort. In this sense, it seems to be more about evoking emotions than conveying information directly.
Later chapters explain that Lil Baby did not just grow up in the California wilds; he also spent time with his parents most other times. Their yearly celebration involves hosting other animals from their past years together- including their mother, father, brother and Auntie Jane. Each of these animals also brings along their own individual memories from their own childhoods. This gives each celebration a unique flavor based off each animal's personal experiences. As an example, one such memory might involve puppies running around inside an old lady's house- who happens to be Auntie Jane's aunt- while she cooked outback meatballs. As this celebration proceeds, each guest rides atop a particular element from their childhood memories- with Auntie Jane atop a storm cloud and Lil Baby upon a gentle breeze.[ ]
Perhaps most interestingly of all, however, is how much emphasis schools place on Lil Baby in their literature programs for children. Not only do they use his book as part of their curriculum; but they also perform musical versions of Lil Baby's story for younger students as well. During these performances, students ride atop elephant backs while an adult tells the tale- much like Lil Baby once did himself. They call these performances 'umbrella acts' since they require student acrobats to climb onto elephant back as well as into the stage itself. This way, younger performers can interact with an already beloved classic character from literature through something more tangible than words alone.[ ]
Considering how many elements come together to make up a typical California breeze, it seems that these are special breezes indeed! They seem to bring about feelings of nostalgia or comfort at times; but they also seem capable of propelling people forward with their ideas or emotions. In light of a recent Lil Baby fan movement and the popularity of Rey's other series Lennox Luck-Lokk among academic circles, it appears there is much more to this popular character than meets the eye!
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