Sophie can't wait to meet her little sister or brother! She's hoping for a brother ("So there will be two girls and two boys"). She's known about my pregnancy since July because she announced the news to our parents by saying, "I'm gonna be a big sister!" Ever since then, we've been getting sibling preparation books out of the library. Since Sophie's a nearly-four-year-old with an extra long attention span, we've read a few books that might be recommended for 6-9 year olds as well as lots for toddlers and preschoolers.
Here's a list of what we've read:
Body Science Books
"Boys, Girls and Body Science" by Meg Hickling
We heard about this book at a sex ed talk by Saleema Noon (she's great!) and bought a copy. Sophie really enjoys the book and especially loves asking squeamish people to read it to her!
"Before You Were Born" by Ann Douglas
This one was ok, but I thought the illustrations were a little too cartoony.
"When You Were Inside Mommy" by Joanna Cole
Sophie loved this one and enjoyed thinking about when she was as small as our baby is right now.
"Your Pregnancy Week by Week" by Glade B. Curtis
This book is aimed at adults, but Sophie enjoyed looking at the week by week illustrations of what our baby would look like right now.
Sibling Preparation Books
"I'm a Big Sister" by Joanna Cole
We picked this up for 25c at the Metchosin Sale in the spring and it's been great! Explains that the baby won't be able to eat ice cream or play at the playground right away.
"Franklin's Baby Sister" by Paulette Bourgeois
Tells the story of Franklin's wait for the baby who will be born in the spring. Sophie was a big fan of this book!
"There's Going To Be a Baby" by John Burningham
I'm not a huge fan of this one (the older sibling isn't too excited about the baby), but Sophie seems to like it. In the book, mother and son speculate about the careers the baby might have, "Maybe when the baby grows up, it will be a chef and work in a restaurant." "I don't think I'd eat anything that was made by the baby."
"We Have a Baby" by Cathryn Falwell
Sweet and simple text, suitable for a toddler who is becoming a big sibling. "We have a baby. A baby to love. A baby to hold. A baby to feed."
"Welcome With Love" by Jenni Overend
This one's quite intense! It shows a natural birth at home.
"Big Sister and Little Sister" by Charlotte Zolotow
This was a childhood favourite and I was so happy to find it at Kidsbooks! It's the story of a bossy older sister (ring a bell?) who falls apart when she loses her little sister and who is ultimately comforted by little sister.
"What Baby Needs" by William Sears, Martha Sears and Christie Watts Kelly
An attachment parenting version of a sibling preparation book. Shows nursing, co-sleeping, baby wearing and more. Sophie really enjoyed this one!
"We're Going To Have a Baby" by Dominique De Saint Mars
This comic book style story tells of a family expecting their third child. It's quite long, but Sophie liked it so much that she'd sit through the whole thing!
That's it so far! Hope that helps some of you who are expecting a baby brother or sister!
2 comments:
I think Boys, Girls and Body Science takes the cake...oh the memories of Sophie asking about my uterus...
I'm with Aunt Kristi -- I think Sophie has keen ability to sense who is going to become most anxious/embarrassed when reading aloud about graphic biological facts.
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