Hello Baby!

by Lizzy Rockwell, Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)

Overview

Now in paperback, a picture book, told from a child's perspective, about what to expect when Mom's expecting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780517800744
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/11/2000
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	614,078
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

In addition to being the illustrator of many picture books, Lizzy Rockwell is also the author-illustrator of Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition.

Editorial Reviews

"From a chart on how a baby grows up in utero to the end of her first day home, this book covers the entire birthing process as described by an older brother. . . . The book objectively presents intimate images and experiences: the baby inside the womb (shown in mother's tummy and in a full-page close-up), the mother nursing her, the boy and his dad carefully sponging around the umbilical cord scab. . . . When Eliza hits the scene the artwork really shines, as Rock-well captures both the skinny helplessness and surprising individuality of a newborn. Readers who have already welcomed a new baby into their home will enjoy remembering the events portrayed here while future siblings will gain insight into what's in store for them."—School Library Journal, Starred

"In a refreshing departure from other books about siblings . . . the approach of this text is optimistic, reflected in Rockwell's bright, cheerful illustrations. An upbeat, encouraging account."—Kirkus Reviews

"Rockwell integrates a factual approach and a down-home quality. . . . Emphasis and proportion accurately reflect a happy child's point of view."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

What distinguishes this new book from many others on the subject is its abundance of factual information for preschoolers. A little boy talks about the baby growing in Mommy's body, in a place called the womb. At the doctor's office he listens to the baby's heartbeat and looks at a chart to see how a baby grows. And on the day his sister comes home, he helps Daddy bathe her. The details regarding pregnancy, the warm tone, and the bright pictures make this a really rewarding book to read and talk about with your child when you are expecting.

Sesame Street Parents

A preschool-age boy actively helps to prepare for the homecoming of his new sister in Rockwell's (Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition) reassuring account. The young narrator shares with the reader an upbeat version of what to expect, starting with accompanying Mommy to an obstetrical appointment and ending with the boy's success at distracting the crying newborn with a musical toy. Along the way, stylized but essentially realistic illustrations show calm, smiling characters: white-haired Grannie, phone held to her ear, reports news of the birth to the beaming narrator; parents, boy and newborn snuggle in the hospital bed. Rockwell integrates a factual approach (there is a gestation-period chart) and a down-home quality (the boy compares his belly button with the baby's umbilical scab and later reports that the baby "sounds like a cat when she cries"). Emphasis and proportion accurately reflect a happy child's point of view. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 1From a chart on how a baby grows in utero to the end of her first day home, this book covers the entire birthing process as described by an older brother. The opening pages present information about the fetus, while the middle section shows the family getting ready and the boy and his grandmother waiting anxiously for the big moment. Rather than delve into the boys emotional responses to having a new sibling, the book objectively presents intimate images and experiences: the baby inside the womb (shown in mothers tummy and in a full-page close-up), the mother nursing her, the boy and his dad carefully sponging around the umbilical cord scab. There is comfort in the honesty and straightforward familiarity of the text, which is supported by soft colored-pencil drawings. At times the boy looks flat on the page, and his teardrop eyes and round head are more cartoonlike than realistic. However, when Eliza hits the scene the artwork really shines, as Rockwell captures both the skinny helplessness and surprising individuality of a newborn. Readers who have already welcomed a new baby into their home will enjoy remembering the events portrayed here while future siblings will gain insight into whats in store for them.Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Rockwell (who illustrated Anne Rockwell's Halloween Day, 1997, etc.) focuses on a young boy as he and his family prepare for the birth of his baby sister. The precocious narrator confidently discusses the growth of the baby in his mommy's womb and describes visits to the obstetrician to hear the baby's heartbeat. Also covered are the arrangements for the boy's care while his mother is in labor, the hospital visit, and baby's arrival at home. The young narrator reflects on how his baby sister is not yet used to the concept of day and night and when she, at one point, becomes inconsolable, he fetches a favorite toy to soothe her. In a refreshing departure from other books about siblings, this one does not address negative feelings of anxiety, trepidation, or jealousy. Instead, the approach of the text is optimistic, reflected in Rockwell's bright, cheerful illustrations. Age-appropriate pictures cover fetal development, including a wonderfully informative spread entitled "How a baby grows," charting the period from conception to term. An upbeat, encouraging account. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews