One of the most difficult issues young children face is the arrival of a new sibling. Sibling books are a great way to introduce and talk about potential issues or to help a child who is already experiencing the transition to find comfort in the fact that a picture book character has similar feelings and may even have found a satisfactory resolution.
Lisa Kopper's Daisy Is a Mommy (Dutton, $11.99; ages 3-6) compares the day of a canine and human mother. When parents are overwhelmed with the exhaustion of care taking a baby, this book is a great way to communicate about fatigue.
Barbara Joosse also uses animals in Nugget & Darling (Clarion, $14.95; ages 4-7), the story of Nugget who is forgotten, scolded, and deposed when his owner Nell adopts Darling, a small kitten. Finally his young mistress sensing his depression makes a special effort to include and create special time with him. Joosse also publishes I Love You the Purplest (Chronicle, $14.95; ages 4-7) which is the best treatment I've ever read about sibling competition and a mother trying to answer the hated question: "Who do you love best?"
Two books from Whitman show sibling pride. In Laura Leuck's My Baby Brother Has Ten Tiny Toes (Whitman, $14.95; ages 3-5), the rhyming, counting text shows a young sister introducing her baby brother to the world. From banging his three spoons at breakfast to the final couplet: "My baby brother is smart as can be. He's luck to have a big sister like me." Alden Carter's Big Brother Dustin (Whitman, ; ages 4-7) captures with photographs a young boy getting ready for his sister's birth. His parents involve him every step of the way from telling grandparents to the joy of meeting her at the hospital. A special touch comes when Dustin, after months of pondering, comes up with her name!
Photos also fill Maxine Rosenberg's Mommy's in the Hospital Having a Baby (Clarion, $14.95; ages 3-6) which explains birth and hospital in a way that's child- friendly. The book accomplishes the two goals the author states in the forward: acquainting children with the maternity floor and reassuring children that they'll be well taken care of when their mothers are away. With simple explanation and lots of color pictures the author explains how a mother will need rest, how to behave in a hospital, the appearance of the "funny little thing sticking art of the baby's bell button" called the umbilical cord, how to hold a new baby and even the fun of lowering and raising the hospital bed.
Martha Weston deals with the sibling downside in Bad Baby Brother (Clarion, $14.95; ages 4-6) as Tessa explains the exasperation that can come with a new crying baby who grows into a meddler. The text is sibling sympathetic, but the illustrations sometimes picture an overzealous older sibling, who, by the last picture is "reading" to her toddler brother...together they've arrived!
Joanna Cole, one of the biggest names in non-fiction, has written two new books for young brothers or sisters, entitled appropriately, I'm a Big Sister or I'm a Big Brother (both from Morrow, $5.95; ages 2-5). Short pages of text show a proud young sibling who notes what the baby can and can't do (eat pizza or ice cream, play with toys) and then talks about they can do together (gently hold, sing little baby songs, make baby warm and cozy, The book explains the need for crying and shows how the older sibling still feels special to her parents. The book ends with a helpful note to parents who are transitioning into a larger family.
Many will welcome the re-birth of Rosemary Well's classic story Noisy Nora (Dial, $14.99; ages 3-6). The book's now in a larger size and has all new colorful illustrationsto tell the story of a middle child who refuses to be ignored!
One of the biggest issues in the life of a young child comes when a sibling arrives. Different children react in different ways, but there seems always to be some effect. New sibling arrival is one of the most well-covered controversies in children's books which only goes to prove how important it is in a child's life. The problems raised and solutions offered are as varied as the books. Sibling books are a great way to introduce and talk about potential issues or to help a child who is already experiencing the transition to find comfort in the fact that a picture book character has similar feelings and may even have found a satisfactory resolution.
The subject is quite difficult to explain to a very young child. Perhaps one of the best ways to explain the impending arrival is with Janet and Alan Allsburg's The Baby Catalogue. The authors wrote the book in response to their own child's fascination with catalogues They filled it with six babies (including a set of twins and one child who is black), five sets of parents (including a mother who is pregnant) and every baby accessory imaginable (everything from garden toys to bottles). This is a book that can be shared by a variety of ages. The illustrations are simple and can be pointed to for a very young child. An older child will discover stories and characters in this near-wordless book. A beginning-to-read sibling will enjoy reading the few large-print words. The humor of illustration will be appreciated by all ages. (This was my husband's very favorite baby book.) Available in hardcover and paperback. Ages one to adult. (Little Brown, $14.45, $5.95)
A series of four folding wordless board books do an excellent job of preparing the very young child for the sibling to be. . . and for what comes later. In Waiting for Baby , an joy-filled sister-to-be is very much a part of the preparations for her baby. In illustrator-author Frank Endersby's continuation we see the small girl experience a large range of emotions as she adjusts to the baby-prompted changes in her life. Ages 1-3. (Child's Play, $2.95)
Jan Ormerod has a new series out with titles such as Mom's Back and Bend and Stretch. The protagonist is a toddler whose close loving relationship with his mother is obvious. Just as obvious is her pregnancy. Again, this book is a good way to lead into discussion about the baby to come while sharing a warm cuddle. Ages 18mo to 2 (Morrow, $5.95)
For the older child is a dramatic new book by Sheila Kitzinger, who has done so much for adult world in terms of pregnancy and birthing books Being Born is a stunning book. Lennart Nilsson's photographs dramatically show the baby developing in utero and help make the baby's growth in utero real to a waiting sibling. The text, told in second person, is detailed without being specific and accents the feelings of the baby in utero and newly born. Ages 3-8. Hardcover only. (Putnam, $14.95)
See How You Grow by Dr. Patricia Pearse is a lift the flap book that talks about and shows growing, the female reproductive system and how a baby grows inside its mother. Children seem to gravitate towards the fun and surprise of flap books and this gives marvelous representation to the birthing process. The text is clear there is a focus on growing that welcomes a sibling into an active relationship with new or developing sibling. Ages 4-8. (Barron's, $9.95)
There are different kind of photographs in Kathryn Lasky's A Baby for Max. This is a book that Max insisted be written at the time of his mother's pregnancy and the birth of his sibling. Max had a little help from his mom, but the story is very much from a young child's perspective. Max is a happy anticipator of the baby's birth and enjoys helping to welcome his sibling and this positive light is very nice. The book is honest however, there are of course some negative feelings that arise when the baby comes home, but the loving family heals those by honest communication. Ages four and up. Hardcover and paperback available. (Macmillan, $12.89, $4.95)
Linda Girard's You Were Born on Your Very First Birthday is a wonderfully warm look at birth from the point of view of the baby inside. For an older sibling who is wondering how all this came about, this is a wonderful introduction to how babies are made without any of the graphic details. The illustrations are as soft and gentle as the text. One of my favorite parts of this book is an expression of labor through the point of view of the baby being born, the giant hugs that bring the child to parents who are teary with the beauty of the experience. Ages 3 and up. Hardcover only.
(Whitman, $11.25) Joanna Cole has written two excellent companion books about new babies. The first, How You Were Born tells in a simple, straight-forward manner how babies are conceived. I first read this two my son when he was three and with the exception of one page (about egg fertilization) he could follow the text well.
Cole has created a second companion book that is a great non-fiction introduction to a new baby's arrival home. The New Baby at Your House, tells honestly the ins and outs of having a new baby move in. There are frank discussions of all the interesting things babies do as well as the feelings they may bring up. Both books are filled with photographs that are emotive and telling. Both are available in paperback. Ages 3-6 (Morrow, $10.95, $4.95)
One can always trust Mr. Rogers and his book, The New Baby, is typical of the same trust Mr. Rogers creates on television. Similar to his television appearances, Mr. Rogers creates in this book a gentle and calming tone. With honest word and realistic color photographs, Fred Rogers stresses the importance the older sibling as well as the role of love in a family. Ages 2-5. Available hardcover and paperback. (Putnam, $11.95, $5.95)
When a new baby come to live at the home of a very young child, I think one of the most helpful books is Ann Jonas' When You Were a Baby. Words and illustrations are simple. Uncrowded backgrounds help the toddler focus on the issue at hand. The text describes things that a toddler couldn't do when s/he was a baby. It is a book that reminds a young child struggling with the issues of new sibling arrival that they can do lots of things a baby can't yet do, that they are big and accomplished. Ages 18mo-3. Available in paperback and hardcover. (Greenwillow, $12.95. $3.95)
The difficulty of explaining a new sibling to a young child is helped by Emily Arnold McCully's New Baby. This is a wordless book whose pictures tell of the coming of new baby and the transition of the displaced young child. This book also presents a home birth. The illustrations are colorful, cute and create lots of conversation. Ages 2-4. (Harper and Row, $12.95)
Mem Fox's Koala Lou tells the story of a much-loved Koala child who suffers greatly from the busy life after siblings arrive. Her mother, who used to have time to verbalize her love frequently, is now too busy with babies. Koala Lou, missing the lovely reassurance, "Koala Lou, I do love you" decides to re-win her mother's love by winning the Bush Olympics. Koala does not win her event, but she does receive understanding and once again the lovely expression of mother love! The catchy chorus has now become one of our family chants and it always warms my daughter's heart and I find as I repeat the chorus to her, my heart is warmed as well. Illustrations by Pamela Lofts are both vibrant and calming. Ages 3-6. (HBJ, 1988)
101 Things to do with a Baby by Jan Ormerod is a great introduce a sibling to some of the fun of babies. The frontpiece shows a bleary eyed mother, nursing a baby in bed while reading to her thumb-sucking little girl. The book goes on to list 101 activities which begin with saying good morning and end with a goodnight kiss. Throughout the story we see in the background the warmth and humor of a nurturing family who obviously delight in the time they spend with each other. Ages 3-8. (Lothrop, $11.75 ; Penguin, $3.50)
Ezra Jack Keat's Peter's Chair is a classic book and well it deserves to be. When Peter's new sister comes he finds his parents impatient and everything he owns being painted pink. Finally, in disgust, he runs away with his little blue chair only to find out that he's outgrown it. At this solemn moment, Peter's mother calls to him and seems to understand and grow at the same time he has. The book ends with a lovely illustration which shows Peter and his father together painting his chair pink. This book has a lovely message for the whole family. Ages three and up. Hardcover and paperback available. (Harper and Row, $12.89, $4.95)
She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl by Eloise Greenfield tells of black protagonist Kevin's disappointment when his mother brings home a baby girl instead of a boy. Kevin also feels the lack of attention. His parents handle the situation lovingly and Kevin happily, protectively shares his baby with his neighbor friends. The touches of dialect add warmth without being difficult to read. Ages 4-8. Hardcover only. (Harper and Row, $12.70)
To make an older child part of the experience, I recommend My New Baby and Me: A First-Year Record Book for Big Brothers and Sisters by Dian G. Smith. This sibling baby journal is formatted with illustrations from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 1914 Le Journal de Bebe . There is plenty of room for comparisons, drawing, photos and feelings. The formatting is simple, humorous, playful and creates a wonderful family heirloom. For ages three and up. Paperback only. (Charles Scribner's and Sons, $9.95)
A crawling baby means it's time to introduce a child to Jeanne Titherington's A Place for Ben. Older sibling, Ben, feels he doesn't have a place of his own anymore when crawling Ezra is moved into his room. When Ben establishes a new place of his own, he finds something is not quite right. He waits lonely for someone to come to visit and "finally someone does". Guess who? A warm and reassuring look at how one can reach out after establishing oneself. Titherington's illustrations are magnificent, each a lovely work of art that wants to be hung. In fact, I know one mother who hung the cover on a large cardboard box with a door, creating a place for her older sibling . A perfect balance of a minimal text beautifully extended by the illustrations. Ages 2 and up. Hardcover only. (Greenwillow, $11.75)
John Steptoe's Baby Says is filled with more illustrations than words. He shows us an older sibling who is trying desperately to enjoy block building and constantly distracted by his brother who wants out of the playpen. He finally allows the baby's participation and after some struggles is rewarded by having his brother repeat and learn one of his words. The book is packed with clear illustrations of very real sibling experiences and big bold words that could be easily "read" by an older sibling. Ages 2-4. (Lothrop, $9.95)
I Love My Baby Sister (Most of the Time) is an honest view of the ups and downs of a sibling relationship. Experiences and feelings are very accurate and presented from a child's point of view. Ages 2-4. (Penguin, $3.95)
Patricia Lakin's Don't Touch My Room tells in several chapters views of an only boy having to relinquish parts of his life to make room for his brother. He learns to share his room and his toys with difficulty and finally without a bit of difficulty learns to share his love. It is nice how the sibling grows throughout the book and adjustments are continually made. Lakin has recently published sequel entitled Oh Brother! in which the two brothers grow even bigger. Ages 3 and up. Both available in hardcover only. (Little Brown, $12.45)
There isn't a sibling alive who doesn't think that his or her sibling is a monster. Pat Hutchins makes this apparent on a literal level in The Very Worst Monster, (Greenwillow, $11.75) a story about a little girl who fights to prove that she and not her new brother is the very worst monster. There is delightful humor in both text and illustration and another delight is the sequel entitled Where's the Baby? (Greenwillow, $11.95) Both appropriate for a child four and up.
One of my favorite Christmas books is a sibling book. Sarah Hayes' Happy Christmas, Gemma , is the story of a young boy whose toddling sister is experiencing Christmas for the first time and making a mess of everything. The author has the toddler's view of the world perfectly. When she receives a cow for Christmas, she calls it "dog", for example. Hayes presents the older sibling's point of view just as well. He has the perfect mix of disgust and love to make this a special story. Hayes' also has written a sequel that is equally warm entitled Eat Up, Gemma. Ages 3 and up. Hardcover only.(Lothrop, $13.00)
Shirley Hughes' Dogger is a celebration of a great sibling relationship. It tells the story of Dave who loves his ragged stuffed Dogger. Dogger is misplaced and Dave is miserable until his big sister trades the new big beautiful teddy she has just won to get Dogger back. Shirley Hughes' work is filled with a representation of realness in both illustration, characterization and relationship. Ages 3-7. (Lothrop, $10.95)
There are a variety of new baby books by heros and heroines that children already love. Among others are: Russell Hoban's A Baby Sister for Frances, (Harper and Row, $11.89, $2.95) Fran Manushkin's Little Rabbit's Baby Brother (Crown, $10.95) and Marc Brown's Arthur's Baby. (Little Brown, $13.95). All for children ages four and up.
There are also some sibling authors of note. Two of my favorites are Rosemary Wells and Charlotte Zolotow. Both have very different styles and both presents sibling issues from a variety of viewpoints. Charlotte Zolotow's books are sensitive, warm and have the ability to reach deep inside you and pull your heart strings. Her sibling titles are too numerous to mention, but two of my favorites are Big Sister and Little Sister (Harper and Row, $11.89) and Do You Know What I'll Do? (Harper and Row, $11.70) Rosemary Well's books are full of humor in both illustration and text. She is a champion of the underdog whether it be a middle child like Noisy Nora (Dial $9.95, $3.95) or the baby of three like Morris in Morris' Disappearing Bag. (Dial, $9.95, $3.95) These books are appropriate for children four and up. Perhaps her most famous sibling pair are Max and Ruby that she created in her board books. These may be introduced with a slightly younger child. (Dial, $3.50)