Hi all,

I am looking for a book to introduce my toddler (24 months now, will be almost 3 when the baby is born) to the idea of having a little sibling. It seems that so many of the books in this category are about, or show, an older brother rather than sister, or even gender neutral older child.

I know about the "I'm the Big Sister" book, but are there others that people recommend? thanks so much

:D

the dr sears book "what baby needs" has a big sister and a big brother, and is a good one in general.

DD turned three the same week her little sister was born. In preparation we used the "I'm a Big Sister Book" Also, I got:

How To be A Baby . . . By Me, The Big Sister
by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Sue Heap

It is cute and funny to read, and obviously written from the big sister standpoint. But it does seem a little negative and some of the things were a little too old for DD (it mentions that the big sister rides a bike and goes to school etc, and that babies can't do those things... but they are things DD doesn't yet do herself). So you may want to flip through that book before you buy it.

My dd was a month from three when her brother was born. We read the I'm a Big Sister book, and the Sears' books (we had the pregnancy and the new baby ones, they were both good), and then a few additional ones that she enjoyed the whole year, and even now sometimes reads. They're a little more realistic in terms of the emotional journey many older sibs go through when they get a new baby in the family...

Julius, the Baby of the World, by Kevin Henkes (love this author)
Sophie and the New Baby, by Laurence & Catherine Anhoult

I also liked the on-the-side treatment of having a new baby in the house in several Ashley Wolff books: Only the Cat Saw, A Year of Beasts, and A Year of Birds. She has beautiful illustrations and very nature-oriented books.

Best wishes!

thanks for the ideas!! these all look great.