Helen's Babies

John Habberton (1842–1921) was an American author and journalist who wrote Helen’s Babies in 1876, and it brought him lasting fame. The book was an immediate success, selling in large numbers in the United States and abroad. It was written as a humorous narrative in the first person, and its descriptions of the children’s speech and behaviour were praised for their truthfulness.

The narrator tells his own story with a mixture of embarrassment and pride, recalling his confusion at the children’s questions and the ingenuity with which they escape every restriction. The comedy depends on small moments of domestic life, such as meals, naps and sudden bursts of mischief. Beneath the humour there is genuine affection, and the story gently suggests that a bachelor can learn a great deal from two small boys. The tone is light, the language simple and the pace brisk.

Parents will recognise many of the situations, and the book has been a favourite for generations of readers. It is easy to listen to in short stretches, and it provides an enjoyable window onto family life in the 1870s.

Twelve parts, about 4.1 hours in all, are read by a single LibriVox volunteer, which suits a book whose comedy rests on one voice, that of the harassed uncle. Along the way a lovely young neighbour keeps passing by at exactly the wrong moment, and Harry’s attempts to impress her add a second thread of comedy to the mayhem in the nursery. Habberton lets the boys’ remarks, naive and shrewd by turns, carry much of the humour, and the narrator’s honesty about his own failings keeps the comedy warm.