Sophie and the New Baby (Concept Books (Albert Whitman)) [Hardcover]

Laurence Anholt (Author), Catherine Anholt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000 | Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Concept Books (Albert Whitman)

Sophie likes to play with her rag doll, but then her mother tells her the big, important secret. "Soon you'll have a real live person to play with. We're going to have a new baby." Sophie likes this idea, but the baby takes so long to arrive that she sometimes forgets all about it. When her new brother is finally born, he's quite a disappointment. He can't play with Sophie, and he needs Sophie's mom and dad all the time. Worst of all, Mom and Dad seem to like him a lot. One day, Sophie shouts at the sky, "I don't want that baby anymore!"

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Anholts (The Big Book of Families) synchronize the cycle of life with the rhythms of the seasons in this heartwarming book about a new sibling. Young Sophie's new brother arrives amid the first snowfall, and the heroine's mood soon turns just as stormy as the winter weather. When a frustrated Sophie wants to know when the baby is "going back again," her mother informs her, "This baby isn't going back. He's here forever. We can't just put him away like your rag doll." But just as winter changes to spring, so do Sophie's feelings alter toward her brother, and at book's end, she pushes his stroller through a blossoming wood, eagerly anticipating "a whole new year." Laurence Anholt's calm narrative voice and Catherine Anholt's airy, delicate watercolor-and-ink illustrations effectively plumb Sophie's darkest emotions. When, at the book's midpoint, Sophie runs out coatless into a snowstorm, yelling, "I DON'T WANT THAT BABY! I DON'T WANT THAT BABY ANYMORE!" it is a moment of almost breathtaking intensity and catharsis. The Anholts convincingly depict Sophie's maturation, to arrive at the happy conclusionAin which Sophie welcomes her brother as her new playmate. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-In spring, Sophie's father tells her that there will be a new baby in the family when winter comes. As she waits ("Sophie had never waited so long for anything"), the seasons pass until one snowy night her brother is born. She becomes frustrated with his inability to play with her, and resents the time her busy parents spend with him. Time continues to pass and she grows used to her sibling as he becomes more responsive. Come spring, she finds a doll she had lost in the snow and gives it to him. "'I've got you to play with now'-It was the start of a whole new year-for Sophie and the Winter Baby." The changing of the seasons gives great supporting structure and expanded definition to the story-two universal cycles intimately connected. There is a nice rhythm and focus as well, from joy to angst and back again. The bright, attractive, highly detailed illustrations help set a tone of love and acceptance. The pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings flow naturally with the tale using effective, expansive double-page spreads as well as small focused vignettes. Sophie's lonely country life appears isolated yet secure. It's no wonder she's ready for a sibling, someone with whom to share the delights of life.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080757550X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807575505
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurence Anholt is the author and illustrator of several childrenÂ’ books about famous artists, all available in North America from BarronÂ’s. They include Degas and the Little Dancer, Leonardo and the Flying Boy, The Magical Garden of Claude Monet, and van Gogh and the Sunflowers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sweet book for a new big sister!, November 7, 2003

By 

H. Thompson (Downingtown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sophie and the New Baby (Concept Books (Albert Whitman)) (Hardcover)

We bought this book for our daughter when we were expecting our son. It's the story of a big sister who welcomes a baby brother (the "winter baby"). Most of the books that I looked at on this subject have a very negative angle, but just a brief portion of this story focuses on the challenges and frustrations of becoming a big sister. It shows the great anticipation of the baby through the changing seasons and also accurately depicts life with a new baby today - changing diapers, sitting in a vibrating seat and breastfeeding. In the end, Sophie is the one who teaches her little brother to smile and they become great friends. This is now one of my daughter's favorites!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful , loving tale for a big brother or sister...., January 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sophie and the New Baby (Concept Books (Albert Whitman)) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderfully sweet book. It shows how a family prepares for the arrival of a new baby, and does an excellent job showing the passage of time, through beautiful illustrations of the seasons. It also addresses the frustrations and anger a young child feels when the new baby gets all of mom and dad's attention. The dialogue is simple and sweet - my almost 3-year-old really liked it and "got" it. I love that it depicts the mother nursing the young infant in a natural way. This is a GREAT book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book, July 22, 2004

By 

Beth Stewart (Montesano, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sophie and the New Baby (Concept Books (Albert Whitman)) (Hardcover)

As a mom of a girl about Sophie's age, I have a hard time reading this book without getting teary. It is so well-written and sweet. I love how the story covers the length of the pregnancy...from the Spring in which the parents tell Sophie that a baby is coming, until the following Spring..the end of the "fourth trimester." I also love how it shows the variety of realistic emotions that the older child would feel. The illustrations are wonderful too. My daughter asks me to read this to her, and then we talk about how she will relate to Sophie when her baby sister comes in a few months. I highly, highly recommend this book. I have read a lot of books on this subject, and this is one of the best.