The New Baby at Your House [Paperback]

Joanna Cole (Author), Margaret Miller (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

It's natural for children to be concerned about the arrival of a new baby at their house. Most big brothers and sisters feel loving and tender one minute, angry or jealous the next. With over forty vivid full-color photographs and a clear, supportive text by award-winning author Joanna Cole, this revised edition of a much-loved classic will prepare children for the ups and downs of having a new baby in the house.

"Should help small children sort out and deal with the turbulent mixed feelings that assail them when a new baby comes home." --Benjamin Spock, MD., author of Baby and Child Care

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?Originally published in 1985 (Morrow), The New Baby at Your House is better than ever. The book still presents an evenhanded discussion of the positive and negative feelings an older child may have toward a new sibling. It shows the infant's needs and abilities and briefly touches on changes that will occur as the baby grows. While the textual differences are slight, this new edition flows more smoothly and is more immediate, as in the opening pages where the text is written in the present tense rather than in the past. The biggest change is in the photographs. Full-color pictures are used throughout; some of them take over an entire page, or even a full double-page spread. Coupled with a tighter, less blocky typeface, the overall design and presentation are more accessible and generate a greater ability for children to respond emotionally to the book. Miller captures many intimate and touching moments with her pictures and shows a wide range of feelings as demanded by the text. There is a good balance of families from varied ethnic backgrounds. As in the previous edition, this book opens with a clear and precise note to parents that gives honest, practical advice on helping youngsters prepare for and cope with a new arrival.?Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 3^-6. Miller provides appealing new photographs for this revision of a book that parents and children have shared for more than a decade. Because Cole's explanation of what happens when a new baby arrives and her portrayal of older siblings' feelings are written on a child's level and without condescension, her book remains an enduring guide for families. Her casual, reassuring tone adds to the appeal, as do the photographs, which show an ethnically diverse roundup of siblings and parents in true-to-life positive and negative interactions. The introductory note for parents is thoughtfully conceived, offering sound advice on preparing older children before the new baby's arrival and helping them adjust after the baby comes home. An excellent choice for libraries that don't have the first book as well as those ready for a second copy. Shelley Townsend-Hudson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition (March 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688166989
• ISBN-13: 978-0688166984
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Siblings
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( C ) > Cole, Joanna
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > New Sibling

More About the Author

Joanna Cole s a former elementary school teacher and librarian and a frequent contributor to Parents magazine. Joanna Cole lives in Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for younger children, too!, March 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Baby at Your House (Hardcover)

I bought this book for my 2 year old as we prepared for his new sibling. Some of the text is a bit too much for such a young child, but the photos lend themselves to telling a story that children of any age can understand. He liked to see the pictures of tiny babies, and also liked to hear how the older children felt about the babies. I think this book really helped him to know what to expect. We have lots of "new baby" books, but I feel this one is superior - photographs rather than illustrations really help young children know what to expect.

68 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book for upset siblings, June 8, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Baby at Your House (Paperback)

I read this book many many times to my children as they expected new siblings (we have three kids). Now I am buying it for my nephew. The reason this book is different from other "New Baby" books is that it gives young children a voice for the often strong negative feelings of having a new sibling. Young kids, preschoolers and younger, can't put words to their emotions. This book shows young children who are angry at their new baby brother or sister, feel they are being abandoned by their parents, feel ignored, feel they don't get any attention anymore, can't stand the sound of crying, hate the smell of diapers that need changing, and more. Your child may not tell you he/she feels these things, but believe me, they all do.
Many parents think that if they keep telling their older child how wonderful the new baby is, and what a big boy/girl their older child is, and "be nice to your new baby," that it will sink in. Well it doesn't work. Older kids are very hurt/threatened/scared but the entry of a new baby in the home. Many liken it to the feelings a woman would have in her husband came home one evening with a new, younger wife and said, "Look what I brought you! Don't worry, I will still love you, even though I love my new wife very much, and I will still have time for you, even though I won't have as much. I want you to love my new wife just like I do, and help her out, because you are older and can do more." HA! Once a young child can see that he/she is not alone in having negative feelings, and can put words to those emotions, they can work on them, explain them to you, and believe it or not, they tend to abate.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivates a childs interest but take note home birth Moms!, August 26, 2007

By 

Laura Rogers (home) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Baby at Your House (Paperback)

This book is a great way to prepare your child for a new arrival because it covers a range of emotions the child might feel (good and bad) and gives the child an idea of what a baby can and cannot do, and what the child can look forward to. I liked this book because it shows a positive image of a mother breast-feeding, which is great to prepare a kid for the new things Mom might be doing. Like other reviewers I agree that the pictures are great and captivate a young child's interest. However, the one thing that did not suit our particular situation was the fact that it describes how Mom will go to the hospital to give birth and we are having a home birth. We added our own words to compensate but I thought I'd let other home birth mothers know. Otherwise, a really nice book!