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You Are New
A world of being new is waiting for little ones and the grown-ups who love them in this warm and funny book perfect for baby showers. From napping to crying, cuddling to playing, this book introduces the world with humor, honesty, and unmitigated sweetness. Award-winning author and artist Lucy Knisley celebrates the joys of having—and being!—a baby in this timeless celebration of new beginnings and the transformative power of love.
52 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
2 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Knisley
54 books2,214 followersBeginning with an love for Archie comics and Calvin and Hobbes, Lucy Knisley (pronounced "nigh-zlee") has always thought of cartooning as the only profession she is suited for. A New York City kid raised by a family of foodies, Lucy is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago currently pursuing an MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies. While completing her BFA at the School of the Art Institute, she was comics editor for the award-winning student publication F News Magazine.
Lucy currently resides in New York City where she makes comics. She likes books, sewing, bicycles, food you can eat with a spoon, manatees, nice pens, costumes, baking and Oscar Wilde. She occasionally has been known to wear amazing hats.
She can be reached via e-mail at lucylou@gmail.com.
(copied from http://www.lucyknisley.com/about on 12/31/08)
Lucy currently resides in New York City where she makes comics. She likes books, sewing, bicycles, food you can eat with a spoon, manatees, nice pens, costumes, baking and Oscar Wilde. She occasionally has been known to wear amazing hats.
She can be reached via e-mail at lucylou@gmail.com.
(copied from http://www.lucyknisley.com/about on 12/31/08)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
April 5, 2019
This is kind of an event for fans of Lucy Knisley's comics memoirs: Her first picture book, and it is not about her baby, which, yes, she did manage to have, the process documented in her memoir, Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, but a book addressed to babies and parents everywhere. What you notice first in any Knisley book is color--bright, inviting, soothing--and the strong-line drawing. Feels still personal, somehow, even though this is not memoir.
This book is not the best picture book for/about new borns you will ever read, it's not unique in focusing on newness (though that is nice, to see things through that lens), and like many picture books it is All Babies, All the Time (duh, babies and new parents like to look at babies), but it is sweet, and happy, and if it matters to you, it is Knisley, for which I personally award a star for that fact alone, it's so recognizably her sweetly enticing work (though a little more playful, maybe, for the audience/format).
This book is not the best picture book for/about new borns you will ever read, it's not unique in focusing on newness (though that is nice, to see things through that lens), and like many picture books it is All Babies, All the Time (duh, babies and new parents like to look at babies), but it is sweet, and happy, and if it matters to you, it is Knisley, for which I personally award a star for that fact alone, it's so recognizably her sweetly enticing work (though a little more playful, maybe, for the audience/format).
June 2, 2019
Knisely's graphic novel work is consistently high-quality: clever and insightful memoir with enough research to add meaningful context. That mix of the specific and general works well for a very young audience as well. The colors are bright and cheerful, and there's lots of interesting faces to look at in a range of colors. It's simple and pleasant and acknowledges the frustrations and difficulties of the very young. Pleasing to adults who might have to read it aloud many times and to the very young too, I imagine (I did not actually test it on infants).
Library copy
Library copy
April 3, 2024
You are new is an absolute masterpiece and a must read for anyone new like me. This book explores the fundamentals of personal growth and development including peekabo, mirror play, and introducing different bodily functions. The interracial graphics promote inclusivity and appreciation for diversity. So far, one of my favorite books I've ever read. (Also, the first book I've ever read.) Can't wait to see what Lucy Knisley puts out next.
March 31, 2020
A delightful and fun picture book about babies that bounces along nicely and pairs well with Knisley's new cartoon collection: Go to Sleep (I Miss You): Cartoons from the Fog of New Parenthood.
February 22, 2019
“You can open wide and yell. / Sometimes you make funny smells.”
October 18, 2023
Very topical for nephew, who is new
March 17, 2019
A celebration of all the new things one experiences through life.
February 13, 2020
Super cute
February 27, 2020
"When you're new, what can you do?"
Lucy Knisley has created a lovely rhyming book that's perfect for sharing both with a baby and with their older sibling. In fact, I would say this should be added to every librarian's mental list of "new baby in the family" books -- it does a great job of talking about what babies can and can't do, and then relates it to what the baby will experience when they're older.
Lucy Knisley has created a lovely rhyming book that's perfect for sharing both with a baby and with their older sibling. In fact, I would say this should be added to every librarian's mental list of "new baby in the family" books -- it does a great job of talking about what babies can and can't do, and then relates it to what the baby will experience when they're older.
January 21, 2022
Eh. I felt this really lacked the charm of Knisley's other books. It just felt like a standard, uninspired kids book. There were more slant rhymes than perfect rhymes in the writing and the pictures of babies lacked the adorable realism of her drawings in Go to Sleep (I Miss You.) For me it was just a bit disappointing. It was fine, but just fine.
March 20, 2019
Just the cutest little book as usual but for a new audience
January 25, 2020
Bright, joyful colors signal that Lucy Knisley is back and is venturing into parenthood! Though she usually works on graphic novel memoirs, she has tried her hand at a picturebook--and succeeds. Told in rhyme and illustrated with thick lines and bold colors, this makes for the perfect bedtime story to your newborn, and a great gift for the new parent. It's an all-babies sort of book, filled with babies of all sorts of personalities, genders, and races.
There's a lot to process when you are new, Knisley says. When you're new, everything else is new, too, and that sometimes causes a lot of frustration, tears, and giggles! Certainly worth a read, as it brings out good feelings and optimism for all the little ones out there. The world is so big and wonderful, and experiencing it for the first time is utterly magical.
There's a lot to process when you are new, Knisley says. When you're new, everything else is new, too, and that sometimes causes a lot of frustration, tears, and giggles! Certainly worth a read, as it brings out good feelings and optimism for all the little ones out there. The world is so big and wonderful, and experiencing it for the first time is utterly magical.
August 4, 2020
Adorable!
February 6, 2023
So cute and rhymes. We loved it.
September 17, 2024
Read during library story time :)
November 14, 2024
Elliot and I have been reading this for months and it’s such a fun book! Elliot claps and laughs so I’m guessing he’d give it 5 stars.
March 16, 2019
I have always been enamored with Lucy Knisley's comics and now she's just proven herself worthy of being enamored with her picture books.
May 23, 2025
A bit long. Daughter couldn’t focus. Had hiccups. Had to stop a few times.
April 30, 2021
Just a very nice little book.
February 12, 2019
Good for soon-to-be big siblings as well as for reading with new babies and toddlers. Lots of smiles inside and the digital collage art is interesting...reminiscent of woodblock printing.
November 7, 2022
A picture book to add to your baby shower gift list. This wonderful celebration of new babies and new experiences has a playful tone and simple text but elevated concepts that will speak to adults as well as little ones. Toddlers will see in it their own accomplishments and understand both that they've come along way since their "brand new" days and that they are still learning new things and (always) having new experiences. This would be an especially great book for a preschool-aged "big" sibling to read with a parent and a new baby.
August 14, 2025
New babies can't do a lot, but they are still exciting just because they are new. A great read aloud for grown-ups in a baby storytime, which is often my preferred go-to for baby storytime other than photos or peekaboo/pop-ups.
As a parent of a baby, I now appreciate the simple coloring for the illustrations. It draws Elsie's attention more.
As a parent of a baby, I now appreciate the simple coloring for the illustrations. It draws Elsie's attention more.
April 5, 2019
This beautiful book makes for a perfect baby read aloud in storytime. Most of the pages can be turned into actions. We read just the first half as it does go just a little long for them.
September 24, 2019
Adorable as usual! Unfortunately I think this picture book is too long for my baby storytime, but perhaps for the older crowd...
February 15, 2020
You could do the first half of this book as a fun baby storytime, or the whole thing as a bedtime story.
February 6, 2020
Stumbling on this book in the library was my first time encountering the work of Lucy Knisley. It's so charming and cute and every time I've read it to my 9-month-old daughter, I've choked up a little bit.
This book works on many levels. First of all, the illustrations and words are simple and sweet, perfect to keep little kids engaged. The font is bold, black, and all caps, with certain words highlighted in different colors. The pictures are reminiscent to me of a retro poster or comic strip. The first part of the book is sort of a standard "book for babies about babies" book. This is a common subgenre of picture books because of the simple truth that babies love babies. So the first part of the book is about how babies sleep a lot and take baths and cuddle. It's very cute!
The second layer to the book is that I think in addition to being a book about babies for babies, it's also a book for little kids. Specifically, about how little kids used to be babies, and they're growing up, but that's OK. In the book's pivotal moment, there is a two page spread showing what is clearly a baby at different ages: newborn, older baby, toddler. At first she is being held up by her parents, at the end she is standing by herself. These pictures are accompanied by the text, "soon you won't be new at all," perfectly capturing the bittersweet feeling of growing out of that baby age and being a "big kid."
But on the next page, after that brief moment of melancholy, a bright pivot: "But wait! You will be new again." The book continues showing scenes of older kids doing things that babies can't do: camping, playing make believe, reading, and importantly, welcoming a new sibling. This is a brief moment in the book, but I think it beautifully shows how this book works as a "you're going to be a big brother/sister" book.
None of that is why I get emotional reading it though. There's a bittersweetness as a parent knowing that my tiny little baby is growing up every day. This book is a good reminder to be mindful and present. A lot of cliches get thrown around about parenting like "they grow up so fast" and "enjoy every moment." You Are New expands and explores those sayings into something more meaningful. It's also a good reminder to be gentle with babies and always remember that they are new and everything is new to them.
Finally, I think on another level this book is really speaking to parents about them being new. When you become a parent you become a new version of yourself. Everything changes and you don't know what to do. There are a lot of expectations, hopes, fears, and uncertainty around parenting. This book is a gentle reminder that it's ok to be and feel new at being a parent.
This book works on many levels. First of all, the illustrations and words are simple and sweet, perfect to keep little kids engaged. The font is bold, black, and all caps, with certain words highlighted in different colors. The pictures are reminiscent to me of a retro poster or comic strip. The first part of the book is sort of a standard "book for babies about babies" book. This is a common subgenre of picture books because of the simple truth that babies love babies. So the first part of the book is about how babies sleep a lot and take baths and cuddle. It's very cute!
The second layer to the book is that I think in addition to being a book about babies for babies, it's also a book for little kids. Specifically, about how little kids used to be babies, and they're growing up, but that's OK. In the book's pivotal moment, there is a two page spread showing what is clearly a baby at different ages: newborn, older baby, toddler. At first she is being held up by her parents, at the end she is standing by herself. These pictures are accompanied by the text, "soon you won't be new at all," perfectly capturing the bittersweet feeling of growing out of that baby age and being a "big kid."
But on the next page, after that brief moment of melancholy, a bright pivot: "But wait! You will be new again." The book continues showing scenes of older kids doing things that babies can't do: camping, playing make believe, reading, and importantly, welcoming a new sibling. This is a brief moment in the book, but I think it beautifully shows how this book works as a "you're going to be a big brother/sister" book.
None of that is why I get emotional reading it though. There's a bittersweetness as a parent knowing that my tiny little baby is growing up every day. This book is a good reminder to be mindful and present. A lot of cliches get thrown around about parenting like "they grow up so fast" and "enjoy every moment." You Are New expands and explores those sayings into something more meaningful. It's also a good reminder to be gentle with babies and always remember that they are new and everything is new to them.
Finally, I think on another level this book is really speaking to parents about them being new. When you become a parent you become a new version of yourself. Everything changes and you don't know what to do. There are a lot of expectations, hopes, fears, and uncertainty around parenting. This book is a gentle reminder that it's ok to be and feel new at being a parent.
June 5, 2019
"Hello, you! You are new."
On review is Lucy Knisley's vibrant You Are New, a standout rhyming picture book that highlights some of the wondrous new beginnings and new experiences awaiting babies. Knisley is an award-winning graphic novelist/comic creator behind acclaimed titles such as Relish, Something New, and Kid Gloves. I must confess here to having- very recently- been on a reading kick of Knisley's adult graphic novel offerings and I thoroughly enjoyed all I read. Having the opportunity to pore over the author-illustrator's recent children's offering has been a delight, and with You Are New, Knisley has shown she can run the gamut of genres. Easy to read bold, capital text is paired with equally standout, colourful, streamlined illustrations where the focus is on expressive, adorable, funny, not-one-is-alike babies! From testing out primary senses, making "funny smells", taking baths, getting cuddled, to bigger kid activities like learning to crawl up stairs, hugging cats (!), taking swimming lessons, and even welcoming a "new family member", You Are New so very charmingly (and often humourously!) catalogs the wealth of life- and wealth of love- waiting to be experienced by everyone new. Beautifully fun, bold, and sincerely sweet, You Are New not only makes for terrific read aloud material, but also as a new baby present. (Bonus: Firstly, don't forget to check out the gorgeous end paper! Secondly, those who have already explored Knisley's previous titles may recognize an appearance by Linney the cat, and what looks to be a rendering of Knisley and her husband's little one!).
I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.
March 28, 2019
This week's preschool storytime theme was NEW BABIES! We have a lot of younger siblings joining us on Thursday mornings, and a lot of familiar faces come to our weekly Friday morning Baby Bounce storytimes as well. So there were plenty of babies to play with today!
We were so excited to read this debut picture book from one of our favorite YA/adult graphic novel author Lucy Knisley. She recently became a new mom herself, and she hilariously describes what babies can do (and smell like... P.U.!) when they are brand new. There are plenty of action words ("stretch," "yawn," and, of course, "CRY!") to keep kids engaged and interested. We paused a few times throughout the book for peekaboo and other relevant rhymes (♬ this is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face, this is the way we wash our face, so early in the morning ♬).
By the way, Lucy also has an incredible graphic novel about the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. Read an excerpt here from Elle Magazine.
We loved this book so much that we read it again after our craft (building baby bird nests) and playtime (building blocks -- well, mostly knocking them down...)!
We were so excited to read this debut picture book from one of our favorite YA/adult graphic novel author Lucy Knisley. She recently became a new mom herself, and she hilariously describes what babies can do (and smell like... P.U.!) when they are brand new. There are plenty of action words ("stretch," "yawn," and, of course, "CRY!") to keep kids engaged and interested. We paused a few times throughout the book for peekaboo and other relevant rhymes (♬ this is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face, this is the way we wash our face, so early in the morning ♬).
By the way, Lucy also has an incredible graphic novel about the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. Read an excerpt here from Elle Magazine.
We loved this book so much that we read it again after our craft (building baby bird nests) and playtime (building blocks -- well, mostly knocking them down...)!
April 27, 2019
Although this picture book doesn't hold the same appeal for me as her graphic novels, particularly her Kid Gloves, about her own pregnancy, it's nice to see Lucy Knisley venture into this particular artistic format. Still, there isn't anything particularly new or different on its pages from the many other picture books celebrating childhood and birth. The digital collage illustrations are bright and interesting, and the book seems to address that newborn and ever-growing baby as it begins to explore the world around it. The rhyming text makes it easy to read aloud and easy on the ears while celebrating the cycle of life and acknowledging the importance of a supportive community. Interestingly, the babies and adults all sport various skin tones. Perhaps this one could be used as a read aloud to help a youngster feel comfortable with the sound of a caregiver's voice or encourage the love of reading.
March 13, 2023
A first-time expectant mom or a future new sibling might not have any idea what to expect with a new baby. Everything is new. This book that explores the first year of a child’s life and all the newness they will be exposed to would make an excellent new baby gift.
With a rhyming text and diverse children illustrated throughout the book, young children will experience all the new things in a baby’s life. New babies nap a lot, but they can also fit into tiny spots. They also get to wear cute baby shoes. But, they also cry and get mad and scared. And just when they have things figured out, they grow and find something else new to explore.
Celebrate a new baby in your life or help prepare an older sibling with this new board book. The author previously shared this book in picture book format as well.
With a rhyming text and diverse children illustrated throughout the book, young children will experience all the new things in a baby’s life. New babies nap a lot, but they can also fit into tiny spots. They also get to wear cute baby shoes. But, they also cry and get mad and scared. And just when they have things figured out, they grow and find something else new to explore.
Celebrate a new baby in your life or help prepare an older sibling with this new board book. The author previously shared this book in picture book format as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews