Evan Early [Hardcover]

Rebecca Hogue Wojahn (Author), Ned Gannon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

This title is aimed at ages 4-8. When Natalie's little brother, Evan Earl, is born prematurely, he's earns the nickname Evan Earl-y. No one can say for sure when Evan will come home from the hospital. To help her with this uncertainty, Natalie's father gives her a calendar to keep track of the days - each day that Natalie colours in is one day closer to the day her new brother can come home. When Natalie visits Evan at the hospital, she is curious about the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); she talks to the nurses and her Mom explains how the tubes and machines are helping Evan to breathe and eat. As the days go by and become "rainbow weeks" on Natalie's colouring calendar, she gets lonely and a little scared; her parents spend most of their time with Evan in the NICU. She tries to be patient, but finally gets upset by their neglect. Her mom reassures her that they haven't forgotten about her. Over time, Natalie learns that, although her brother might always need special help and lots of attention, she can teach Evan their family traditions, even while he's in the hospital. This is a sympathetic and supportive story for other young siblings of preemies. The full-color illustrations are warm and bright, using Natalie's colouring calendar as a recurring visual theme throughout the story. The pictures portray just enough suggestion of the NICU medical setting to satisfy young reader's curiosity. It is intended for families with premature babies; kids aged 4 to 8 with premature siblings; professionals who work with these families (e.g., OB/GYNs, social workers, NICU nurses, neonatologists, paediatricians).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a useful tool for bridging the gap between sibling and preemie, even before the preemie comes home for the first time." --Preemie Magazine, January/February 2007

About the Author

Rebecca Hogue Wojahn holds degrees in education and library science and has worked as a teacher and school library media specialist. She currently is the education reference librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as well as a writer. She frequently writes about children's literature topics and is involved in advocacy for special education. Rebecca lives with her husband and two sons, one of whom, like Evan, has endured health problems and long hospital stays.

About the illustrator: Ned Gannon attended school at the Kansas City Art Institute and the School of Visual Arts in New York. He lived in New York for seven years, illustrating and painting for galleries, before taking a teaching position at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. He has had work exhibited at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, and the Society of Illustrators Gallery in New York. He has a wife, Sara; a son, Eliot; and a dog, Agnes.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Woodbine House (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890627712
• ISBN-13: 978-1890627713
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,577,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for older siblings of preemies, June 11, 2007

By 

Brenda (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evan Early (Hardcover)

My 7yo daughter received 3 books about being the sibling of a preemie, and although we enjoyed all three of them, this one was the best of the lot. Not only did it provide good information about the NICU experience, but it was well written and showed some creativity in the presentation that made it less of just a "topic book" and more of a pleasurable reading experience. Whereas the other titles were more sterile in their presentation, this one read more like the sort of good literature we are accustomed to at our house (we have a home library of over 3000 books). I loved the author's use of colors to describe the roller coaster of emotions one has during a NICU experience. She showed a real creativity in language that I found lacking in the other books we have on this subject:

"I stretch my hand out to touch Evan Early's tiny one. His dandelion stem fingers curl around mine."

If you are going to pick only one book for your child about having a preemie sibling, this is the one I would suggest. I liked this one so much that I purchased a second copy for my daughter to give to our NICU for the use of other children like her.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding picturebook for children ages 4 to 8, August 12, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Evan Early (Hardcover)

Evan Early is written by Rebecca Hogue Wojahn and features illustrations from Ned Gannon. An outstanding picturebook for children ages 4 to 8, Even Early is the story of a little girl, Natalie, and the pre-mature birth of her little brother Evan. A charming story of Natalie's patience, Evan Early offers children a remarkable insight and understanding of what being an older sibling really means. A prized addition to any school or community library picturebook collection, Evan Early is especially recommended to the attention of parents anticipating the birth of a little sibling for their older child who will no longer be an only child when their little sibling arrive.