Customer Reviews

We Were Gonna Have a Baby, But We Had an Angel Instead

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I lost my severely premature son earlier this summer, I was frustrated trying to find a book for my four year old that would help him understand what had happened -- and then I found this book. It is gentle and simple and so utterly perfect, whether your baby died in utero or shortly after birth. It takes such a difficult topic and puts it in words (and beautiful illustrations) that children can understand. I hope you never need this book, but if you do, you'll be so glad to have it.

I had initially purchased this book to try and help my six year old after his baby sister was stillborn. He was having difficulty with the tragedy as we all were. I found the illustrations and the story itself absolutely perfect with what we were experiencing. I had not expected it to touch me as much as it did. It's only been a little over a month since we lost our baby but I find that picking the book up and reading it over and again helps me as much as it helps him. The way the illustrator had the baby remain with the family, only as an angel, was comforting to both of us. We talk about her being an angel watching over us so the pictures helped my son see that as well. It's heartbreaking that anyone would need this but comforting that it's there.

This book is simply written and perfect for the preschool child to understand the death of a baby before birth. The illustrations are magnificant and capture the preciousness of life. I thought this book was beautiful and donated it to the school.

This book is great for a family who has lost a baby, no matter the gestation. My three year old loves this book and still asks why we had an angel instead of a baby. It doesn't answer all the questions, but nothing does. This book certainly helps children.

A friend of mine just lost her son to a stillbirth. I suffered the same fate two and a half years ago. I didn't buy the book for myself then, but due to the glowing reviews I purchased it for my friend.

The book starts out wonderful. A little boy(which I guess could pass for a girl) talks about how they were going to have a baby. He talks about his mommas tummy and how he and his parents had talked about all the fun they were going to have with the new baby.

The middle part is good too. It shows the parents being sad. The mom looking at baby stuff and the dad out in the garage working on a memory box. They show them crying. The little boy talks about how sad it is and how he thinks his parents are sadder than he is.

At one point the boys says that his grandmother told him that although the baby is not with us physically, the baby will always be in our heart.

To me this is where the book should end. It shows the baby as an angel looking down on the family. It is a nice, logical place to end.

BUT - there are a few more pictures of everyone crying, and more talk about how horrible the whole thing is ( which it IS... but this is a book for preschoolers... we don't want them to be frightened).

The last page of the book has a picture of the parents walking slumped over with their heads down in grief, crying pulling a cart (where I am assuming the baby was supposed to be)the little boy walks next to them and the final line states "it would have been much more fun to have a baby".

To me (although this statement is true) is not a good way to end a book that is to be read over and over again, during different stages of grief. At first this tone might sit well with the immediate greif and helplessness feeling... but over time it may bring the reader down, instead of teaching the child/reader that there is hope in the long run.

This book has the most wonderful images and words that will melt your heart. We bought this book to help our 6 year old son deal with the death of our infant daughter. He was finally able to really understand that his sister was not going to come home and that she is in heaven. I am so thankful for this book and its message. I truly recommend this book to anyone who experiences a pregnancy or infant loss. I find myself reading it too and benefiting from its simple message.

I don't have any living children, so I didn't need this book to help explain the loss of our son at 34 weeks, but I love it for myself. It explains in such simple terms and the pictures are so touching. I love that the baby is an angel that watches over the family. Lovely book to pull out and read.

I'm not much for angels and have taken very little solace in the "your baby is an angel now" way of thinking since I just don't believe that's what happens. However, I do believe that my baby is with Jesus. I was unsure of this book because of the title, but it turned out to be the perfect little picture book for us. The baby is pictured with wings and called an angel, but my kids took it to mean that our baby, Hazel, is in heaven with Jesus. This book is short, probably best for young (2-6) children. Another reviewer mentioned she didn't like the book because it ended on a sad note "I think a baby would have been more fun" with sad faces all around. But you know what? Having a child born still is sad all around. I'm sad, my husband's sad, my other children are sad. If the book had ended on a "happily ever after" note, I would have disregarded it. My children are sad. They relate to this little boy, who still has fun playing with his toys and going for walks, but also is also sad, sad, sad.

Our daughter was stillborn. I had heard great things about this book and I must say they were true. I plan to keep this book to read to our next child...to try to help us explain about his/her big sister...our angel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost a child...it's very simple and sweet. I still cry when I read it.

I wish no parent had to buy a book like this. That no parent had to tell his son/daughter such sad news. But it's somehow part of life. Unfair or not... it happens.
This book illustrated in a perfect way how we were all prepared and excited to welcome OUR baby. And indeed, something happed.
My son is four and realized that family and friends were here because they were sad. And indeed, he believes that it would be more fun to have a brother than an angel.
He felt sorry for the boy in the story and added that the same happened to him. It touched him. Then, he browsed silently through the pages.
The first time my husband and I read it, we could not help but cry. Every word was true.
I just wish, no kid would not have to go through this...