Before You Were Born [Hardcover]

Laura Cornell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

It's the mystery of mysteries-what's going on inside a pregnant woman's belly? That's what Jennifer Davis's older children wanted to know while she was expecting the younger. So to explain, she wrote BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, now with 102,000 copies in print, a joyful lift-the-flap book that tells the parallel story of mother and baby during the nine months of pregnancy.

Illustrated with full-color whimsy by Laura Cornell, whose delightful work is familiar to readers of Jamie Lee Curtis's Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born and When I Was Little, BEFORE YOU WERE BORN is a month-by-month countdown written in rhyming verse.

Each page shows what's happening to the mother on the outside and then, under the flap, in the mother's belly to the baby on the inside. Children learn how Mommy is feeling and how the baby is developing, about hiccups, kicks, and umbilical cords, a first heartbeat, and the contractions that mark the beginning of labor.

For expectant mothers and curious little kids, and especially for kids with siblings on the way, it is an interactive storybook that delivers delight and information and reassurance, too.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A whimsical yet accurate look at many different aspects of prenatal development. Told from a pregnant woman's point of view, the lighthearted rhyming text begins, "Before you were born and with 9 months to go..." and counts down to delivery day. In the bottom left corner of each double-page spread is a thumbnail drawing of a baby along with an informational tidbit on a developmental milestone that each month brings. For example, readers learn that at seven months to go, "You were now starting to smile and frown." The facing page then focuses on one identifying event for that month such as hearing the baby's heartbeat, feeling the effects of the hiccups, or experiencing rapid weight gain. After focusing on the mother's perspective, a postcard-sized flap can be lifted to reveal the fetus, happily painting its growing nails or gleefully dancing, boom box in hand. Loose, jaunty, black-ink lines and splashy watercolors support the humorous tone of these anecdotal vignettes that are sure to garner laughs as the woman's belly grows out of proportion to her tall skinny face. Readers will enjoy the interactive nature of this energetic title.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Share the pleasure. Unveil the mystery. This joyous, innovative book about pregnancy tells the parallel story of mother and baby, from hearing the thumpity-thump of baby's heartbeat to that unforgettable first meeting.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761112006
• ISBN-13: 978-0761112006
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,057 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Sexuality

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the best book for preparing toddlers, October 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Before You Were Born (Hardcover)

I ordered this book, along with several others, to help prepare my 2-year old daughter for the arrival of her new baby sister. While the illustrations are charming and the text is cute, this book is much better suited for the older child, of the amusement of adults. It simply does not hold my toddler's attention. ...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Baby Classic. A Must For Every Gandmother's Library, December 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Before You Were Born (Hardcover)

As a grandmother of many curious grandchildren, I often reach for this book to explain a subject that fascinates them: how they grew in their mom's belly. "Before You Were Born" is packed full of facts and is at the same time a fun read. Jennifer Davis's text will make you and your children giggle. And Laura Cornell, who also illustrates Jaime Lee Curtis' books, has kept the subject light and whimsical. You can take the story as far as you want. It is a book we read over and over.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for all moms to be!, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Before You Were Born (Hardcover)

As a mom to be, I plan to read to my child and encourage her to love learning. I know from my next door neighbor's children (ages 2 and 4) that they are very inquisitive about what is happening to me while my child grows inside me. This book really helped them understand about the new life that was on the way. It's written in terms children understand...they loved the little flaps, because it made it interactive for them!