Customer Reviews

How To be A Baby . . . By Me, The Big Sister

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My mom bought this for my 3.5 year old -- who is the proud older sister of our new baby -- and it was an unqualified hit! This is our new favorite book to read and it never fails to inspire fits of giggles. The author has done a marvelous job of capturing the combination of love, bemusement and pity the older sister feels for her baby sibling. (And it has just the right amount of poop and pee references for four years olds who can't get enough of that sort of thing.) For any older sisters who are in danger of regressing, this book reminds them that it is far better to be the big sister than the baby. I plan to give this book as a gift many times over.

I am 8 months pregnant and the mother of a five year old who isn't quite sure she wants to share the spotlight. This book is perfect. I bought it a week ago, and already it has been read about six times. It is written for girls her age, which surprised me as the children will almost be six years apart and many people have their kids closer together. It allows her to see the positive parts of being older, the funny parts about being a baby, and at the end, the loving parts of being a big sister. We love it!

This book is wonderful for children who are expecting a little brother or sister. My grandaughter wanted to read it over and over again and it displaced some of her fears. The book was Right On.

This book is delightful! There is much to laugh at, much to love. I've shared it with my 3-year-old granddaughter, who will be a big sister come September. She was much intrigued by the great art work, and I could tell it helped enhance her self esteem, as well.

My new favorite children's book! Such a fun, light-hearted look at being a big sister. My five year old daughter and I giggled out loud when we read this the first time from the library. The writing is right on level with a child's sense of humor, but fun for adults to read as well. This one I have to have for our permanent collection.

I appreciate the point that this book is attempting to make. However, I really felt like it went too far. Can't we focus on how each member of the family makes a unique (and positive) contribution? Not in this book. In this book it is all about how the older sibling is superior to the younger one.

A few quotes to illustrate my point:

"When you're a baby, it's not good because you don't have any hair. (I have long hair like a princess.)"

"When you're a baby you don't have any real friends. (I have lots.)"

And, my personal favorite, a quote about riding in a car seat...

"You don't even face the right way. (I prefer to sit in a seat like a normal person.)"

This is NOT the kind of relationship I want to encourage my children to have with their younger siblings!

I think the author could have found a better way to acknowledge the fears that an older sibling has about the "baby invasion". Yes, babies are "strange" and different and a little funny (or scary) but the things they do are normal for babies. Why do we have to apply negative value judgments to them in order to feel good about ourselves?

I skipped over large sections of this book while reading it to my daughter and I'm glad I got it from the library because it will be going back immediately!

I have a 5 year old daughter and a 15 month old boy. He, of course, gets all of the attention.

We checked this book out from the library and after reading it I had to buy it! It is a MUST have for any older sister who has a baby in the house. It is a light-hearted look at what babies can and can't do compared to the much more mature older sister. Not only is it cute, its truth is downright funny and had us all laughing out loud!

I received this as a gift for my two year old when I had a new baby. My four year old daughter loved it. My two year old loves pieces of it (she can't sit still for a book so detailed). The first time I read it I cried I laughed so hard! The basics are that it details how babies don't have it made-- as it may seem. Most big sibling books focus on the babies have to cry, be held, etc. But this book takes a humorous slant and makes it seem that the big sister has it made (helps the child focus on all the great things SHE can do--and shows how babies need all these special things because they AREN'T big like her). It is written from a big sisters' perspective so some of the things are put in a way that a parent may have worded differently. For example there is something about babies having a special plug to stop them from screaming....of course loving parents don't usually think of it that way--and would explain it that babies sucking on a pacifier feel comforted and calm. So maybe that is why someone commented that it was "How to be a brat" but I really think the book doesn't use that tone. The big sister focuses on things that build her confidence in a time when they may not feel as secure in all the changes. I do think it is a good idea to talk to a child that make take things very literally- for instance about the "plug" just so they know the parents' perspective. It end with a focus on the relationship between the baby and sister when they are a little older and that is something other books often leave out too. I really think it is a great great- fun fun book! I only wish they had a big brother book like this I could get for my nephew! It wouldn't be too hard -just turn the princess stuff into something more appealing for boys...

Some of the lines had me laughing so hard! Perfect balance of showing annoyance and love toward a younger sibling...which is such a reality for older siblings. Sometimes, they just get annoyed with the baby, but that never means the overwhelming love (that they can't even grasp yet WHY they have it) goes away.

A definite plus (and thankfully not the focus, since that's not the point of the book) was how MANY things the older sister recognizes she can do that the baby can't (thereby instilling confidence in their role as an older sibling, vs. the tendency to act like the younger one to compete for attention).

This book definitely made my 3 year old feel better about being a big sister soon, but the book did get a bit negative about all the minuses of being a baby. That did prompt my daughter to say she will help the baby with all of those minuses, like helping eat the mushy baby food, and sit on her bike when he's big enough. Overall a good book to boost the soon-to-be older sibling's confidence.