Publication Date: October 15, 1998 | Age Level: 1 and up
Max does everything he can think of to encourage his new sibling to be born. He talks to his mommy's tummy, sings to it, plays his drum for it, but nothing seems to work. Max is convinced that this baby will never arrive ... until the day finally comes when Daddy takes Mommy to the hospital.
Harriet Ziefert has written a delightful story about the anticipation of a new arrival. Expectant parents will want to read it with their children, and soon-to-be older siblings are sure to identify with Max. Best of all, there's a gift in the back of the book for the big brother or sister to give to the new baby: a nursery door hanger with two important messages: "Shhhh! Baby sleeping" and "Come in! Baby awake."
PreSchool-A book that shows the impatient waiting period before the birth of a new sibling. Max has watched his mother's stomach grow and now that nine months have passed, he's ready for the big event. "But no baby came." Starting with Sunday, each day of the week passes with slow anticipation and the child's mood changes from excitement to frustration until he decides to have fun without the baby. On Friday, Max plays with his parents, on Saturday he makes cookies with Mom and Grandma, and, when Sunday arrives again, so does the baby. "'Let's go see her!' said Max." While the boy has questions related to the baby, this book's focus is purely emotional. The characters are outlined in bold ink while solid washes of color define the background scenes. There is a simplicity of design even with the addition of sturdy flaps that grow as the days progress, allowing youngsters to see Max and his changing moods, a fun touch. Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Harriet Zeifert has written and/or produced more than two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Honor book There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, illustrated by Simms Taback. She divides her time between Maplewood, New Jersey, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Emily Bolam has illustrated several books for children. She lives in Bristol, England.
Product Details
Reading level: Ages 1 and up
Hardcover: 36 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (October 15, 1998)
Harriet Ziefert was born in New Jersey. She grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University. "About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year. Ziefert's picture book A New Coat for Anna is about a girl in a bombed-out European city during the months just after World War II. Anna has outgrown her old coat, and her mother trades her few surviving treasures--a watch, a lamp, a necklace, and a porcelain teapot--in order to obtain wool and have it spun, woven, and finally sewn into a fine red coat for Anna. A Horn Book Magazine reviewer stated, "the simple text, based on a true story, carries the narrative along effectively." The book, which was illustrated by Anita Lobel, was chosen as one of ten books to be read aloud by former First Lady Barbara Bush as part of a program promoting reading. Ziefert was invited to the White House for the occasion. The reason Ziefert began writing easy-to-read books was that she felt "they were getting too hard for kids to read in the first grade." She says that she wrote easy-to-read books with seventy-five or fewer words, even ones with fifty or fewer words, "to see how much of a story" she could produce with that limit. She enjoyed the challenge, and cites her book Sleepy Dog as an example. "Sleepy Dog is the most successful book I've ever done, in terms of number of books sold." She's also been working on a developmental program with publisher Dorling Kindersley, made up of books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Her book Pete's Chicken, which was illustrated by Laura Rader, was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review as "a simple, sweet 'Song of Myself' for children . . . [which] applauds the specialness of every child as it reminds parents of the healing power of just being there for children." Among her other books is a series of easy-to-read books, such as Trip Day and Worm Day, about an inventive science teacher and his rambunctious class of students. Ziefert's book Let's Get a Pet was named an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by a joint committee of the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council. . Ms. Ziefert lives in Maplewood, New Jersey and Lincoln, Massachusetts. She has two adult sons.
It can be very difficult to find a book that discusses the "waiting" process before a new sibling arrives in a family. It is even more difficult to find a book that will keep the attention of a 2 1/2 year old. This book covers all of these obstacles and my son LOVES it!
This book discusses a boy named Max waiting for his new sibling to arrive (sister). He does all sorts of things to get the baby's attention inside his mommy's tummy. You can be creative in the way you read this book to your child ,and he/she will find even more enjoyment in the inside cover pages that show the year before the baby is born, and the year after the baby is born.
This book was worth every penny I spent for it!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat story!, January 1, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Waiting for Baby (Hardcover)
I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old nephew when we found out he is going to be a big brother (of course, the fact that his name is Max clinched the sale!). This book is his current favorite...he knows it by heart and likes to "read" it on his own or to others. The story is written in the third person, but at a level that he can understand and relate to. My nephew especailly loves to look at the pictures in the front and back cover (which depict the year leading up to the baby's birth and the year following the baby's birth) and the two pages where Max does special things with his parents (ride his bike, play ball, go on a long walk, etc.) My next purchase will be a story about living with a new baby, since this one was such a big hit!
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We're expecting our second child in a few months, and my son (3 and 1/2) loves the idea that he is going to be a "big brother." This book really highlights some of the feelings he's got -- even though our delivery is months away, not days. We especially like the pages printed on the inside-front and inside-rear covers, which show vignettes from the year in which the baby is born (including full term of pregnancy) and the year after the baby is born. Every time we sit down to read this book, we end up having a half-hour conversation about how my son is going to be such a big helper when the baby comes.
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