One of my favorite books when I was younger!

Two capable tween girls are shipwrecked on an island with as many babies in their lifeboat as the worried parents could stick in with the shipboard "babysitters". I first read this as a child, as my mom had a paperback copy from 30 years ago. I like it, because these girls aren't portrayed as either children, or as angst-ridden teenagers, or as mini-adults, but as "tweens"--they think about school, daydream, and exhibit other childlike behaviors, but are as capable and resourceful as many other people are at that age in real life. Of course, there's a happy ending.

Awesomely bad pretty much sums it up. A ridiculous story, but at the same time a really, really fun read. It was a favorite in my childhood, and after a reread, it's still a keeper.

I remember absolutely loving this book as a child. Probably around 1968. I mean I felt like I wanted to hug this book to pieces I loved it so much! And isn't that everything a child's book should be?

This book was a childhood favorite. I wanted to live on an island with four babies! Of course it's not exactly realistic, but what girl is going to care? The characters were easy to relate to, especially Jean. I wanted to swing on her vine swing, and explore the island. Of course, being a bit older now, I'm not so sure I'd like it after all, but age has a way of making you think of things that you don't even think of when you are young.
Anyway, the story is delightful! And I still love even after all these years.

I have very clear memories of reading this in the school library when I was 11ish and a teacher commenting unfavourably on it. When I stumbled across it again recently I felt a reread was in order. I can certainly identify some reasons why 11 year old me wanted to read this. The two lead characters were brave, resourceful, take charge and competent. The fact that we shared a name connection helped. Since there was a shared name obviously I could lay claim to those characteristics as well.! On the downside it was first published in 1937 and that shows. It’s dated. Certainly the holding up of caring for babies as the best thing for girls to do doesn’t sit well with my feminist self any more. And the language and tone is some didactic and prissy.

The gender politics of this story are wild lol. I can’t imagine a more harrowing prompt than to wash ashore a desert island with 4 babies to care for, but this book treats it like a fun adventure.

My girls (9yo & 11yo) enjoyed this very much so I thought I would read it myself. I think for young girls it is a great story.

I recall this being wildly entertaining as a child, and it's just as amusing as an adult, mostly because it's the most absurd thing ever written.

Prim and proper 12 yr old Mary and her 10 yr old sister, Jean, master of jaunty made-up songs and morbid comments, wake in the night to find that their ship is going down en route from San Francisco to Australia. They do what any sisters would do: rush to the cabins of the cute babies they usually watch and, finding the baby parents absent to deal with the crisis, grab the babies (kidnapping much?) and aggressively demand a lifeboat.

https://ibb.co/cGqcfx
Check out that masterful baby hold

When their lifeboat is prematurely jettisoned, they end up Swiss Family Robsinson style on an island that perfectly meets their needs. Oddly, they immediately push aside all plans of rescue and thoughts of how the families will be affected and immediately make plans for raising a girl, three boys and a monkey named Prince Charley for the next fifty years. But don't worry, they do find an adult--a grizzled nine-toed man who moved to the island to escape, you guessed it, babies. Don't worry, they force him to attend Island Sunday School and he is soon reformed.

https://ibb.co/h6pjtH
Just feeding a baby goat rum. Nothing to see here.

You can tell this was written in 1937, because aside from the problematic ideas the girls have about "savages" and "Indians", it's basically a love letter to homemaking for little girls. In this book you'll learn such handy skills as heating a bottle using a lantern, making clamshell dishes, and cooking a Christmas pudding in a shanty. Not to mention parenting using mostly canned milk and coconuts.

https://ibb.co/k6q7DH
Siblings?

This book brings with it many unsolved mysteries: There are never ANY diaper changes? How does a shanty on a desert island have what appears to be an electric oven? This seaman moves to the island to escape nagging women and babies, only gets mail every two years, and his allegedly smoking hot bar wench girlfriend STILL WRITES TO HIM?! Two kids are excited about living on bananas and clams for months? Let's not even get in to the absurd rescue at the end.

Great story, unrealistic as it may be. A Swallows and Amazons primer? Just the thing for those who love babies, monkeys, pirates, parrots, and happy endings. Winning illustrations in both color and black-and-white are a perfect match for this lighthearted Robinsonade.

This was one of my very favorites as a kid. Although I'm sure it can't possibly be as good as I remember, but I'd love to read it again, just for the nostalgia.

"There's nothing like the sight of some clean, sweet, innocent babies"

This book, recommended to me in much mirth, is a wild ride full of various babies, island adventures and 2 determined, albeit morally questionable, young girls. It does what it says on the tin. I went into it expecting a book about an island with some babies on it, and by jove did I get just that. Am I concerned that these very young girls essentially kidnapped 2 families' worth of babies in the midst of a highly traumatic nautical event? Yes, very. But am I also entertained and impressed by how it turns out? Also yes.
Let's not forget that whole generations of little girls are finally represented in their love of "borrowing babies" from neighbours as a "delightful past time" in this book. Delightful.