Hello Baby [Paperback]

Jenni Overend (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

On a winter night, in a cottage far away from the town, Mum's baby is ready to be born. The midwife arrives and the whole family prepare for the home birth. In this honest and moving portrayal, Jenni Overend and Julie Vivas celebrate the birth of a baby at home with warmth and joy. This is a book for the whole family to share in preparation for a home birth or the arrival of a new baby.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A very realistic and moving portrayal of the birth of a baby at home. The book exudes warmth, and effortlessly captures the joy of a family sharing preparations for the new arrival. Bookseller In this honest and moving portrayal, Jenni Overend and Julie Vivas celebrate the birth of a baby at home with warmth and joy. This is a wonderful tale to share in preparation for a home birth. Green Magazine An honest but moving celebration of a home birth. Nursery Education

About the Author

Jenni Overend is a teacher and writer. She lives in the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia with her husband and four children. She avoids writing and housework at all costs by gardening, riding a yellow bicycle, and observing big trees and small dogs. Julie Vivas is the illustrator of many superb picture books. She lives in Victoria, Australia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845071107
• ISBN-13: 978-1845071103
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and gentle introduction to birth for children, October 21, 2007

By 

otterbyte - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hello Baby (Hardcover)

First, this book is beautifully illustrated and written. The text is calm and lyrical, almost like a poem. The pictures in pastel chalks are rich and warm. This is also the only 'new baby' book I was able to find that featured a home birth. We wanted to prepare our then 3-year-old daughter for the home birth of her sister, and help her understand what would be happening, if it turned out that she wanted to be there. This book is realistic without being graphic, and perfect for kids. I highly recommend this beautiful, touching story.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a beautiful book about homebirth, August 19, 2008

By 

navyblue (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hello Baby (Hardcover)

Fed up with all of the books available in mainstream book shops that illustrate mama going off to the hospital to give birth, I was very happy to find this book. Homebirth with a midwife is presented in a calm, peaceful, normal way with lovely illustrations and words.

My only complaint is that the drawings sometimes make it a little difficult to keep the characters straight -- is that the mama? Is that the midwife? What color was the papa's hair again? And there are a lot of names to keep straight as well, my children would point and ask, "Is that ____?" and I wasn't sure myself.

But due to the material itself and theme of the book, I'm sure this will remain a favorite.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homebirth but could be used just to explain birthing, March 27, 2010

By 

M. Cardona - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hello Baby (Hardcover)

This book is about a homebirth, which makes it perfect for us. The story is very simple as the perspective is from the youngest child. Mom goes into labour and everyone clamors together to get ready for the birth. The midwife comes and shows her equipment. The family then watches the whole birth. Then the youngest says hello to the baby and they all fall asleep.
What I like: It deals with the simple things you want to deal with. Someone coming over to be with the kids during the labour, mom screaming loudly during the labour, the midwife shows a dopler and an oxygen tank. It deals with the subtle things that could be scary like trembling after the birth, yelling, and the cord around the babies neck and moves them along without fear. They show the birth itself, the baby with the umbilical cord, the mother holding her baby right after the birth, and the placenta but without the blood and mess. It is complete without being graphic...so the mother is completely naked but not exposed (which would be good for reading in a setting that isn't your home or your kids). The kids all gather around and look with curiosity at the placenta. Then the entire family settles down to sleep together, which I like as it shows the family bed. The other thing I like is simply that the mother isn't attending to the kids but isn't ignoring them. There is one page where the little one is helping mom get the baby clothes together and they talk about the baby to come. There is also a page where the mother takes off for a quiet walk alone. The pictures are soft and calm yet frantic and busy...a very good interpretation of the mood. It deals with the birth so that it isn't scary or foreign but natural and electric.
What I don't like: I personally need a book for a toddler (who cares more about cows then people) this book is for a four or five year old or a sophisticated three year old. I have heard of little kids becoming very interested in babies at a young age...mine is not one of those kids so it is a harder sell...however, I am hoping to alter the text just so that it won't take too long to get through. I can see this book being used by other people just to explain the birth process to a young child...even if that mother is going to the hospital or if the child is just curious about what happens. It is frank and realistic without being condescending or too technical.
I have heard of other books for kids that deal with a homebirth but this one was the easiest to get a hold of since it came from Amazon. I am going to suggest my midwife add this book to her library.