I love this book, even though I didn't encounter it till adulthood. Not very realistic, perhaps, but lots of fun.

I enjoyed encountering "Scots wha hae'" for the first time, though I had no idea how to pronounce it.

I think most girls, some boys, and many adults would enjoy this innocent book.

This is one of only a handful of children's chapter books I've hung onto over the years. Somehow it lasted through over a dozen moves, due to something about the campy cover and a vague memory that I'd enjoyed it. But I never reread it.

Then You're Wrong About did a bonus episode where they read and reviewed it, and I learned my incredibly 90s-looking book (published 1989) was actually originally from 1937 and has been reprinted multiple times since.

I had to stop listening a short way in to avoid spoilers until I could reread this for myself.

It turns out it's totally charming. Very silly and unrealistic. (A 12-year-old and 10-year-old take care of 4 babies after a shipwreck, but no diapers are ever mentioned and the girls never get woken in the night by crying and no toddlers run off and drown despite being left alone far more than they should.) But I was charmed.

This does a good job of feeling almost "timeless", like it could be from any era. The girls are more religious than you tend to see in modern writing and there are some casual 1937 references "savages" the girls are worried might be on the island. But on the whole this was totally delightful and a nice, quick read.

Mary and Jean are on an ocean liner traveling to Australia when disaster strikes: the boat is about to sink! Concerned about the babies on board the ship, the two girls collect them all in a lifeboat, which is then set loose in the ocean with only the children aboard. The girls and their four baby charges end up on a desert island, where they immediately set up camp, search for food, and begin to care for the babies as best they can. As the book progresses, they also meet a monkey and a reclusive man who inhabits the island, with whom they form friendships.

This 1937 novel by the author of Caddie Woodlawn (1935) fulfills the fantasy of every little girl who loves babies. While the descriptions of baby behavior might not be as realistic as what you'll find in the What to Expect series, they are perfectly in line with the way little girls imagine babies in their pretend play, and that is all that matters. This book is essentially one long indulgence in make believe, combining the best elements of adventure stories with the desire children have to be in charge of those younger than themselves. The illustrations by Helen Sewell are also great fun! They capture the whimsical mood of the story perfectly.

My husband and I took turns reading this aloud, and our older two girls (ages 3 and 5) really loved it. It was just the right combination of unlikely adventure and wish fulfillment to keep them completely hooked. Though they might have understood it a bit more if they'd been familiar with Robinson Crusoe, their lack of understanding of who "Friday" is did not prevent them from thoroughly enjoying the book. I imagine they'll read it again on their own when they get older, but it was a great success as a read-aloud at these ages.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

My wife, Ange, grew up reading this book and we’ve had it on our bookshelf for a few years. Our oldest, Rosie, is finally able to sit still for short chapter books and we couldn’t be more excited! This book is a spin on “Robinson Crusoe”-basically two girls get stuck on an island with four babies and have to take care of them. The premise sounds horrendous to me, but Rosie loves little babies and was captivated by the plot. Fun breezy read, and we’re excited to introduce her to other childhood favorite books!

This book was a read-aloud with my kids, and we loved it! It had aventures that excited us, sweet baby moments that endeared us to the characters, and funny moments that filled the room with giggles! Perfect for a summer time read!

This was a book that has stayed with me since childhood. It fit right into my childhood sweet spot of orphaned (or semi-orphaned) kids out on their own and making a house and a place for themselves -- especially somewhere out in nature.

This one didn't hold up for me to the same degree that some other childhood favorites. It had some colonialist underpinnings that I didn't remember (but wasn't surprised by given it publication date of 1937), but it also was blander in terms of writing and plot points than I experienced it as a child.

I spent the winter I was seven curled up with this book. I ordered it from a book order, and I loved it! I was a bit confused by it because it was written in the 1930s and people carry handkerchiefs and think chocolate is a major treat. I always thought it came from a different country. But anyway, that's neither here nor there. Two girls are stranded on an island with four babies. They eventually find and befriend a grumpy man who came to the island to get away from babies. Not great literature or anything, but a good adventure story, especially for someone who has two baby siblings.

Book from my childhood, one of my favorites from when I was a kid!!

I checked this book out from the library so many times as a young girl that the librarian eventually just gave me the book. I still have it in my home library.

My 8 year old niece and I have started a book club. The first book we read was Sarah, Plain and Tall. Review to come later. The book for August is Baby Island. This has a silly title, but don't let that fool you. It is a cute and adventurous story. It takes place in the pacific ocean where Jean and Mary 10 and 12 find themselves in charge of 4 little children after a shipwreck. Their life boat was let down before it should have been, without any adult on board. They hope to find an island so that they can find food and shelter, Jean starts to doubt that they ever will. After being questioned on her knowledge that they will run into an island Mary responds "because shipwrecked people always do, why, the public library at home is just full of books about shipwrecked people who landed on tropical islands. And did you ever see a book written by a person who was drowned at sea? I never did...You can't expect everything to happen at once. Why we just got wrecked last night. If Mr. Snodgrass said there were lots of little islands around here, there must be...I'm sure we're due at one of those islands right now. Of course, we might be a little late, like the Interurban cars used to be at home."

I rather enjoyed this story. I appreciated the courage of these girls and how they said their prayers even though their parents were not around. I have to admit at one point in the story that tears started to form in my eyes. It has been a long time since a book has done that to me. This is a fabulous book for children ages 4-10. I am already excited about the discussions that I hope to have with my daughter when we read it.

I remember my sister Teresa reading this to me one summer when Mom decided we needed to have a "rest time" every afternoon. We loved it--Baby Island, I mean, not "rest time". I just read it to Lizzy and Katie and they loved it. It appeals to the baby love that we females are born with. Since I recently read Lord of the Flies, Baby Island struck me as extremely implausible, but is a fun read.

I remember loving this when I was younger but would have been hard pressed to tell you anything from the story. Even so I was nervous about reading it as an adult because I didn't want my fond memories tainted I suppose. I enjoyed it. It is an interesting and engaging story, a bit hard to believe how much the sisters were capable of independently.

I can see why I liked it when I was young and had hoped my daughter would enjoy it too but she hasn't grown up like I did caring for younger siblings, babysitting, dreaming of the tasks of homemaking. I think it would still be enjoyed by motherly youth these days.

Content considerations: they use the term "savage" (and "savitch") quite a bit while on the island, Mr. Peterkin's talk with h's missing or where you don't expect them was difficult to read, he talks of his sister in law as "a awful naggin' woman" and the woman he loves as "fair a wench as ever balanced a tray."