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Since the Baby Came: A Sibling's Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems

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Since the Baby Came: A Sibling's Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems

eBookDigital original (NOOK Kids - Digital original)

$7.99

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eBook(NOOK Kids - Digital original)
$7.99

View All Available Formats & Editions

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Overview

This charming, playful story-in-verse introduces children to a variety of different poetic forms while walking them through all the twists and turns of welcoming a new baby into the family.

Mama is having a baby.
Everything’s starting to change.
God, can you tell me what happened?
Life is becoming so strange.

Since the Baby Came offers a unique take on a timeless topic. The heartfelt and humorous drama unfolds completely in verse, addressing the full range of emotions a young child experiences when a new baby joins the family—from surprise and confusion to feelings of neglect and jealousy to wholehearted tenderness and affection. The book also introduces young children to the playfulness and fun of various forms of poetry, from senryu to villanelle.

Look out! It’s a diaper volcano!
Forgive me for being abrupt.
There isn’t much time to explain—OH!
That thing is about to erupt!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593577691
Publisher:	The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/02/2023
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kathleen Long Bostrom is an award-winning author of over fifty books for children. Her books are published in over twenty languages. She is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who now writes full time. As a middle child, Kathy was both the new baby and the older sister who later became a mother of three herself. She knows whereof she rhymes!

Janet Samuel is an illustrator who lives in a small town in Wales with her daughter, Alice, and scruffy terrier, Tilly. Janet has illustrated books for many publishers, including Macmillan, Usbourne, Little Tiger Press, Scholastic, and Lion Hudson. She is happiest with a pencil or paintbrush in hand.

Read an Excerpt

Mama Is Having a Baby

Mama is having a baby.
Everything’s starting to change.
God, can you tell me what happened?
Life is becoming so strange.

Mama grows bigger and bigger.
Now I don’t fit in her lap.
Just when I’m ready for playtime,
Mama is taking a nap!

Daddy keeps bringing home presents:
Diapers and blankets and bibs.
My toys are stuffed in a corner.
All pushed aside for the crib.

Baby is taking forever.
Shouldn’t he be here by now?
Nobody says when he’s coming.
And nobody wants to say how.

Mama is having a baby.
It could take years at this rate!
Even though everything’s ready,
God, will you help me to wait?

From the B&N Reads Blog

Page 1 of

Editorial Reviews

04/17/2023
Varied poetic forms—including a limerick, a roundel, and a villanelle—offer up a child’s first-person descriptions of adjusting to a new sibling. Long Bostrom kicks off the collection with a haiku about the initial announcement of a fetus in utero (“ ‘Surprise!’ Mama says./ ‘We are having a baby!’/ Nobody asked me”). Subsequent lines from the frank child narrator trace their baby brother’s arrival, and emotions that ensue and evolve as the older sibling becomes accustomed to being one of two: “The baby’s a strange little dude—/ his habits are truly quite rude.” Everyday domestic scenarios (a diaper change, a meal, bath time) feature throughout, while two poems (“Dear God” and “Jesus Was a Baby Too”) introduce a religious component to the book. Samuel’s unlined renderings, which portray a biracial-cued family whose children are depicted with brown skin, have a luminous softness that suits the text’s combination of playfulness and loving kindness. Back matter defines poem types used. Ages 3–7. (May)

Publishers Weekly

This book gently validates the emotions children experience when a new sibling arrives and offers assurance that all will be well.”—School Library Journal

“Samuel’s unlined renderings . . . have a luminous softness that suits [Bostrom’s] combination of playfulness and loving kindness.”—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

04/01/2023
PreS-Gr 2—Sixteen short poems relate how a little girl gradually comes to accept and love her baby brother. When the newborn arrives, her hopes for a new playmate are dashed, and she misses being the sole focus of her parents' attention. In "Dear God," she seeks comfort in prayer, confiding: "Who knew that it could be such work/ To live with baby boys!" Cartoony, digital illustrations in warm hues detail her biracial family's cheerful domestic chaos. Her new baby blues are leavened by humor, as shown in "Diaper Volcano" and "Suppertime," where the facial expressions of her dog and stuffed animals mirror her reactions. She soon adjusts to her new role as big sister, proudly showing her baby brother to friends and listing the reasons why she loves him. The short poems feature simple wordplay, though forced rhymes and uneven cadences limit their read-aloud potential. Back matter includes a list of the various types of poems in the book, along with brief explanations of each type. Though predictable, this book gently validates the emotions children experience when a new sibling arrives and offers assurance that all will be well. VERDICT With appealing digital illustrations and a reassuring message, this may be a good option for larger public libraries seeking new books on this ever-popular topic, as well as for Christian caregivers and preschools.—Marilyn Taniguchi

School Library Journal