And After That... [Hardcover]

Jeanne Ashbe (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

A lift-the-flap book to help young toddlers adjust to their new role as big brother or sister.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Several new titles focus on comforting youngsters in a variety of situations. And After That... by Jeanne Ashb‚ uses a simple lift-the-flap format and predictable text to ease toddlers into the idea of having a new baby in the house. The words "after socks," for instance, appear on an illustrated square flap; underneath lies a pair of lace-up shoes. A later section shows before-and-after scenes with baby and sibling.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Through a simple, lift-the-flap format, this book strives to reassure new siblings that things are OK even with a new baby in the house. The first chapter looks at three events for which youngsters know, "what comes next," as in after daytime, it's nighttime; "After socks, you put on your shoes!" The second chapter has some surprises, as in "After building a tower, it falls down." Finally the author explains that after an infant is born, some things change and others won't-the baby will have a snack and after that the sibling will have one, too. While all three parts are connected by how they present the passage of time-now versus later-there's no real buildup into a cohesive experience. The predictable outcomes or inevitable progressions of the first two-thirds of the book don't carry the same emotional weight of having to wait one's turn as seen in the final chapter. The illustrations actually highlight this discrepancy. Blunt outlines softened by the use of sepia ink create simplistic, representative drawings for the first two sections: a pair of blue striped socks, a single mug of spilled liquid. But when Mom, Dad, infant, and sibling appear together, the scenes expand and become more detailed. They are endearing and satisfying but not in line with the rest of the art. Lifting the flap on each page does provide some interest, but not enough to pull this book together as a whole.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 16 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Pub (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929132247
• ISBN-13: 978-1929132249
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,515,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explains the concept of a new baby to young children!, August 5, 2002

By 

MyParenTime.com "myparentimesfamily" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: And After That... (Hardcover)

Can you imagine how confusing it must be for a young child who has just gained a sibling? There must be so many feelings that often go unexplained. They may think, "Is this new baby here to replace me?" or "Why isn't mommy playing with me anymore?"

The book, "And After That..." by Jeanne AshBe, explains the concept of a new baby in the family in simple terms. First, it describes simple "before" and "after" things such as day and night. Then, it describes "before" and "after" things that have a good or bad surprise afterward. Lastly, it describes how some things will be different after the new baby joins the family. This book helps children to understand that things will be different after the new baby, but let's them know that they are still part of the family and very special.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- it explains the concept of a new baby joining the family in very simple terms by using ideas that very young children can understand. There are "child-like" drawn illustrations and lift-the-flaps that are always enjoyable by children of all ages. Young children who have a new brother or sister are sure to enjoy this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for new big sis, May 3, 2002

By 

C.J. (DC metro) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: And After That... (Hardcover)

Our 20-month old just got a new little sister, and this book is great for letting her know how important she is, even with the new addition.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting approach, but some topics don't apply to us, March 7, 2008

By 

DoMi (Honolulu, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And After That... (Hardcover)

I bought this book (with some other books) for my 2 year old to prepare him for the arrival of the baby. The book is nicely illustrated, it has flips on each page, and begins with the topics that a toddler can most likely associate with. I gave it four stars just because the book does not completely apply to our lifestyle, especially when it comes to food examples. We are also not relying on the text in it much, but make up our own story in those cases that don't apply for us. I am specifically talking about two sets of food pages: chocolate and dinner. The chocolate set begins with an unwrapped chocolate block, and the "after" page shows the stains from the eaten chocolate. The dinner set begins with a nice healthy dinner, and the "after" page shows a desert. Everything makes perfect sense in general, so I believe that this book will be valuable and applicable to many families. We rarely give our son the sweets, and we don't usually have any desert after the dinner. All is just because sugar seems to have too much effect on him, plus we try to teach him healthy eating habits... We usually give him fruits for desert. We are happy with the baby segment of the book as it shows bathing, breastfeeding and sleeping sets of topics. Our son reads this book, but not as often as some other ones on the topic of a new baby.