Since the Baby Came
A Sibling's Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
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!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
