YOU'RE GETTING A BABY SISTER!

Name: YOU'RE GETTING A BABY SISTER!
Author: Sheila Sweeny Higginson
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2050-2

by Sheila Sweeny Higginson & illustrated by Sam Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2012

Nicely explores little ones' excited anticipation and justified reservations about the newest additions to their families.

bookshelf

There's a lot to celebrate (and dread) when a baby sister arrives.

The book opens with upbeat anticipation, but quickly enough the mood shifts as two children stare out at the audience with solemn expressions. “But before you start cheering, / there are a few things you should know.” In a realistically tender and humorous review, these seasoned older siblings explain that babies cause quite a stink. Little sisters force the formerly only (now older) youngsters to share both physical possessions and parents' time. Rhymes dryly capture the lows. “She might pull your hair. / She'll do things that seem mean.” A knowing voice encourages readers to take on the role of teacher and protector for their new sisters. Thin, vulnerable lines focus on expression and interaction against white backgrounds. A spot for photos and notes encourages record-keeping. You're Getting a Baby Brother delivers the same cautious congratulations and refreshing insight. (There's nothing, alas, for those old-fashioned families who want to preserve the mystery of their baby’s sex.)

Nicely explores little ones' excited anticipation and justified reservations about the newest additions to their families. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4424-2050-2

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

bookshelf

LOVE YOU MORE

by Gary Urda ; illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 14, 2018

It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt.

bookshelf

A love song from parents to their child.

This title will seem quite similar to the many others about parents’ deep love for their children. The text is wholly composed of first-person declarations of parental love, and it’s juxtaposed with illustrations of the child with one or both parents. It’s not always clear who the “I” speaking is, and there are a few pages that instead use “we.” Most sentences begin with “I love you more” phrasing to communicate that nothing could undermine parental love: “I love you more than all the sleepless nights…and all the early, tired mornings.” The accompanying pictures depict the child as a baby with weary parents. Later spreads show the child growing up, and the phrasing shifts away from the challenges of parenting to its joys and to attempts to quantify love: “I love you more than all the blades of grass at the park…and all the soccer that we played.” Throughout, Bell’s illustrations use pastel tones and soft visual texture to depict cozy, wholesome scenes that are largely redundant of the straightforward, warm text. They feature a brown-haired family with a mother, father, and child, who all appear to be white (though the father has skin that’s a shade darker than the others’).

It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt. (Picture book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4998-0652-6

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little Bee Books

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
DADDY AND ME
by Gary Urda ; illustrated by Rosie Butcher

bookshelf

I AM A BIG BROTHER

by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2015

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...

bookshelf

A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.

Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)