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8 Books to Help Your Kid Prepare for New Sibling

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A new baby in the house changes everything. A new brother or sister sounds like a great idea, but once the squalling bundle comes home, it can be a different story! These books face the issue head-on with humor and a knowing wisdom for a smoother transition.

Use Your Words, Sophie

Authored and illustrated by Rosemary Wells

Use Your Words, Sophie is a sweet preschooler book geared toward welcoming and communicating with a new sibling.

Recommended for ages 3 and older

Quality: 4 out of 5

(Viking, 2015)

Wolfie the Bunny

Authored by Ame Dyckman

Illustrated by Zachariah O'Hora

Wolfie the Bunny is a completely fresh take on the arrival of a new sibling. If kids see the new baby as a wolf in baby's clothing, they'll relate to little Dot, a bunny whose family comes home to their city stoop to discover a basket with a baby wolf.

Recommended for ages 3 and older

Quality: 5 out of 5

(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2015)

Behold! A Baby

Authored by Stephanie Watson

Illustrated by Joy Ang

In this new-baby book, the boom-voiced announcer dad and the boy's irritated retorts make for a fun, theatrical read-aloud with a familiar emotional arc: Boy hates baby, boy learns to love baby.

Recommended for ages 3 and older

Quality: 3 out of 5

(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2015)

Gwendolyn Grace

Authored and illustrated by Katherine Hannigan

This light, bright bouncy story about a rambunctious little alligator in a pink tutu would be a perfect read for anyone introducing a new baby to a slightly older sibling.

Recommended for ages 4 and older

Quality: 4 out of 5

(Greenwillow Books, 2015)

Lazy Little Loafers

Authored by Susan Orlean

Illustrated b y G. Brian Karas

This charming and humorous book refers to babies as "lazy little loafers" and questions whether these creatures contribute anything to the world. It's the perfect read for an older sibling who has to head off to school while the younger sibling stays home and plays.

Recommended for ages 4 and older

Quality: 4 out of 5

(Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2008)

Little Miss, Big Sis

Authored by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Little Miss, Big Sis emphasizes the joys and rewards of being an older sibling. Jealousy doesn't rear its head in this story. The rewards and closeness grow as the sisters do.

Recommended for ages 4 and older

Quality: 4 out of 5

(Harper, 2015)

Mail Harry to the Moon!

Authored by Robie H. Harris

Illustrated by Michael Emberley

Likely every kid who's become a big sibling will relate to the feelings described in this book, and reading the story will give them the opportunity to explore those feelings without guilt, and with a happy ending.

Recommended for ages 4 and older

Quality: 4 out of 5

(Little, Brown and Company, 2008)

The Year of the Baby: Anna Wang, Book 2

Authored by Andrea Cheng

Illustrated by Patrice Barton

The Year of the Baby, a follow-up to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-year-of-the-book">The Year of the Book</a>, is a sweet story about an older sister concerned about the health of her adopted baby sister. Anna's full of curiosity about what baby Kaylee's life was like in China, where she was abandoned by her family and left at an orphanage.

Recommended for ages 6 and older

Quality: 4 out of 5

(Houghton Mifflin Children’s Books, 2013)

For more family-themed books and books for the youngest readers, check out our lists of Books About Families and Best Books for Babies and Toddlers.

—Common Sense Media

 

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