Book Review of Baby Unplugged
The Children’s Book Review
Baby Unplugged
Written by Dr. John Hutton
Illustrated by Christina Brown
Ages: Baby – 3 | 14 Pages
Publisher: Blue Manatee Press (2026) | ISBN-13: 979-8-9925140-2-5
What to Expect: Unplugged time, parent-child bonding, self-regulation, and real-world play.
Baby Unplugged is a sweet board book that encourages “unplugged time” to help children build skills, bonds, and brains.
This delightful rhyming book explores the many joys and benefits of screen-free engagement between a baby and their caregiver, highlighting activities like “unplugged hugs and smiling faces”, sharing books and singing along, real-world play, and simple bedtime routines. The overarching message is that quality “unplugged time with you is love” as unplugged moments are connected to the development of key skills, such as attention, self-regulation, empathy, and communication.
Written by Dr. John Hutton, the text uses short, rhythmic, and accessible language structured around simple, repeating concepts related to being “unplugged.” Easy for the youngest readers to follow, the writing explicitly advocates for “Screen Free Until Three” and focuses on the power of talking, reading, singing, and real-world exploration. Illustrator Christina Brown’s art provides a gentle visual component that delightfully accompanies the narrative.
A perfect pick for parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers seeking a gentle, positive approach to limiting screen time, Baby Unplugged serves as a great reminder that the best way to foster a child’s development and bond is through simple, present, and unplugged interaction.
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About the Author
Dr. John S. Hutton is an author whose work is inspired by experiences as a parent and grandparent, pediatrician, researcher, and children’s bookstore owner. His dad was a doctor, his mom a writer; he strives to honor both. He is among the world’s leading experts in quantifying the relationships between home reading and digital media (“screen time”) environments and brain structure and function in preschool-age children using MRI, and is featured extensively in academic and news outlets. He is the author of the Baby Unplugged, Love Baby Healthy, and DR Books series, among others.
About the Illustrator
Christina Brown is a professional illustrator, but she never would have become one without a little grit!
