Baby on the Way

by William Sears, Martha Sears, Christie Watts Kelly

Here's the perfect book for baby showers

What can a child expect when mom is expecting? What will happen between now and when the new baby comes--and when a child is going to be a big brother or big sister? What should a child do while waiting for a sibling to arrive? This carefully explained picture book provides answers to these questions and more, helping make the arrival exciting instead of scary.

Part of the Sears Children's Library picture books, this title provides helpful information for young children expecting a new brother or sister.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Parenting, Family, Nonfiction, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Dr. Sears, or Dr. Bill as his "little patients" call him, is the father of eight children as well as the author of over 30 books on childcare. Dr. Bill is an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Dr. Bill received his pediatric training at Harvard Medical School's Children's Hospital in Boston and The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto -- the largest children’s hospital in the world, where he served as associate ward chief of the newborn nursery and associate professor of pediatrics. Dr. Sears is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a fellow of the Royal College of Pediatricians (RCP).Dr. Bill is also a medical and parenting consultant for BabyTalk and Parenting magazines and the pediatrician on the website Parenting.com.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I read this, as I don't have any children. It was in a library display, and I guess I was curious.

As a note: This book was low-key kinda pushing the attachment parenting agenda. I don't really have an opinion on attachment parenting, but it seemed a little out of place to have a section in the back extolling its virtues - I kinda felt like I was being proselytised to (again, despite not having any skin in the parenting game). It's more a critique than a complaint.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite of the new baby books we've checked out so far. Sweet depiction of mama being pregnant, what it's like in a way baby can relate to, what to expect when birth happens and after baby comes in an accurate, descriptive, approachable way while still being fun to read. Lots of extra text for bigger kids/adults for reference.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite part: the baby is ready to come out.

[Asho · Rating 4 out of 5]

My two-and-a-half-year-old is just a couple of weeks (at most) from becoming a big brother, so we've been reading this book every night lately. I'm surprised at how much he likes it, because I think it's probably more appropriate for a slightly older child (maybe 3 and up?). He finds it engaging, though. His favorite part is when it talks about how he used to be the baby in mommy's tummy and everyone was waiting for him.
A couple of things I really like about this book:
1) It talks about how the mother will go somewhere to have the baby and how the older child will have friends or relatives take care of him/her while Mommy and Daddy are "busy" with labor. Most of the other big brother books we've read have talked a lot about what it will be like to have a baby at home but haven't talked as much about the actual birth day. I'm glad I found a book to help explain the hospital part to my son.
2) It shows the mother nursing the baby! Hooray! All of the other books we've looked at have featured bottle-feeding, but I'm hoping to exclusively breastfeed again this time so it was nice to have an illustration of a nursing baby to be able to talk about together.
I don't think I'd use this as my stand alone sibling prep book because it focuses more on the pregnancy than the new baby, but it's a great companion to other sibling books.

[Salima Sikandar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great reference for the kids for about the changes which is about to happen in the home because of the arrival of the new baby. It gives the different scenario and situations about what exactly happens in a a family when a new member is about to come and what changes comes in a family. This is good book to read it to the children especially when the teacher knows in any of the child's family a baby is about to come so the chi;children gets an idea and the child who is about to get some changes feels a little secure and get ready about the change.
I will use this book to read aloud and then keep it in a book shelf or might be children can use it in a quiet reading reading time in a pair or in a group.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preparing for a new baby can be a big process and it might not all make sense to younger children who are about to be big brothers and sisters, but this book is chocked full of tips and sample answers to questions that may arise.

A list of resources is also included and the watercolor and ink illustrations do a great job of presenting what the daily changes in anticipation of a new baby will look like for all members of the family.

A highly recommended title for families welcoming new children. PreK-2.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this to our 2 year old throughout my pregnancy with his baby brother. It was an excellent way to prepare him, and he loved the book. He wanted to read it every night.
The book frames the entire pregnancy in a very positive way - it does not tell the older child that he/she has to deal with less attention - rather it explains why Mommy and Daddy might be acting a little different in ways he/she can understand. It makes the child as much a part of the pregnancy as mom and dad.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

44 months - A good read for a child awaiting their baby sibling. I liked that there were blocks of text dedicated to those kids who want to know more... so you can pick and choose how in depth you want to get with the details of the baby's birth. Since reading a couple of different baby books O has come up with some very interesting and thoughtful questions. Like how does he eat, how does he poop and pee?

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily loves this book and I think it helped her understand about the new baby. There is a picture of a mom with the baby bump and a diagram with the baby curled up inside and I think that was the turning point for her really "getting" it. She likes to look at the baby and say he is "lumpy and bumpy and crowded in there."

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of the low rating is unfair and just comes out of my disappointment and high expectations of the Sears family. It seemed very similar to the other books I've seen about new babies for older siblings and didn't do that much better of a job reflecting our values than the other ones. I was hoping for something that was more AP.

[Leani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet book about pregnancy for young children (perhaps best from 3 up, although my 2 year old adores it and wants to read it over and over again). Discusses some pregnancy changes - in mom and the house - and briefly touches on labour and the new baby, all in a positive light.

[Tywanna Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is all about a family who are expecting the third baby. It includes a lot of scientific facts about pregnancy. It will be a easy to relate to for students who have or are expecting a sibling.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for expecting a baby sibling.

[Andrea Retana]

This is a great book to teach science facts about pregnancy to students. I would like to read this book for in my classroom so students that have or are expecting siblings can relate to .

[Maren Prestegaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was little M's favorite and mine too. A good balance of fluff and reality. Very delicately done.