From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3—"When you're a baby, you are in a crib and not in school," according to a worldly wise big sister, who reads from a book she has written for her new sibling. She itemizes a long list of things that babies cannot do, including play with her toys, sit in a car "like a normal person," or "have ANY pillows on your bed." Although she tends to focus on the negatives, in the end the unnamed protagonist admits that babies have some uses. She tells her brother that babies are "good at hugging" and "people smile at you because you're so small." She also describes what life will be like when he gets bigger, looking forward to the day when they will "laugh and point at pictures of you in the olden days when you were a baby." The comical cartoons subtly convey the love that the rosy-cheeked girl feels for her round, placid sibling despite his limited abilities. The text and illustrations are scattered across each page in varying patterns. Heap uses acrylic paint, crayon, and felt-tip pen in a pleasing palette of pinks, blues, and yellows to enhance the story with childlike charm. This amusing title could be paired with Amy Schwartz's humorous Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner (Scholastic, 1991). For a more poignant look at sibling relationships, young readers might prefer Shirley Hughes's Annie Rose Is My Little Sister (Candlewick, 2003).—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
*Starred Review* There are lots of books about kids and the babies they must endure, teach, and love, but few get the interaction down as perfectly as this marvelous melding of knowing observations and funny, sunny, on-the-money art. The narrator, a little blonde girl, has a long list of things that babies can't do. Go to school? No--stuck in a crib. Eat normal food? No--yucky baby food. Thinking of things that are inappropriate for babies reminds the girl of the many ways in which she's superior: babies don't have any real friends, but she has lots. The tall format offers plenty of room for the sweet, saucy, child-appealing watercolors, some looking as though they were created by the child herself; certainly the lines and squiggles on a few of the pages enhance that feel. Lists also cleverly adorn many of the pages, with headings such as "Things Babies Do That Are Illegal" (poop on the carpet). But in a heartwarming ending, Sister lists things that are nice about being a baby (people don't tell you to stop being a baby because you are one) and envisions the happy day when her brother gets big enough to follow her around, learn from her, and play with her friends (sometimes). With lots to look at, think about, and giggle at, this book will get many readings. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Review, The New York Times Book Review, December 2, 2007:
"An ultracharming picture book."
Starred review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2007:
"There's plenty to pore over in the detail-rich scenes, and the childlike but deft lines match the text's exuberance . . . This is perfect family fare and a welcome departure from storybooks that assume the worst when a new life joins the family."
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Author
I wrote How to Be a Baby by Me the Big Sister as a kind of revenge on my three little sisters . . . not really. But since I'm the oldest, I obviously am the expert here-I mean, after all, I saw them when they were babies but did they see me? And I actually held them and fed them bottles of milk, and had to look after them, and hear all their baby squawkings-but where were they when I was a baby? Exactly. Anyway, so I know things.
From the Back Cover
"When you're a baby,
You don't read books.
You eat them."
About the Author
Sally Lloyd-Jones is the author of the recently published Handbag Friends (also illustrated by Sue Heap). She worked in children's publishing for several years, leaving in 2000 to write full-time. She lives in New York, New York. Sue Heap is the illustrator of Handbag Friends (written by Sally Lloyd-Jones). She has illustrated several other picture books, and is the author-illustrator of Cowboy Baby, which won the Smarties Gold Award in the picture book category. She lives in England.
From the Hardcover edition.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"It's SOMETIMES nice being a baby
because people don't say,
'Stop being a BABY!'
Because you ARE a baby,
and you can't help it,
so it's not your fault."
--Sally Lloyd-Jones, How to Be a Baby
