Children may have a lot of uncertainty about the arrival of a new baby. These books can help by explaining to a child what the effect of a new baby will be and explaining feelings and events that may occur.
Basic factual books
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Watch me grow Stuart Campbell - A week by week development of a foetus.
- What’s inside your tummy, Mummy? Abby Cocovini
- A book for introducing a young child to the concept of where babies come from and how they grow. It discusses various changes going on inside ‘mummy’s tummy’ with ‘life-size’ drawings. Every month a new picture shows how big baby is and how far along a timeline (featured at the foot of each spread) baby has moved.
- Our new baby Catherine Deveny
- Basic explanation of what happens with the arrival of a new baby in the family.
- Peanut Shelly Hedges
- An interactive story to build the bond between your child and your unborn baby as you follow the stages in the development of the baby in the womb from 4 weeks to 40 weeks. Includes activities for the older sibling and information on the growth of the baby.
- Our baby inside! Mick Manning
- This delightful book shows how a baby grows inside its mother’s tummy over the nine months of pregnancy through the ingenious use of half-page flaps.
Sibling jealousy
- Max and Millie and the new baby Felicity Brooks
- This title deals sensitively with the issues of jealous feelings and the upheaval experienced in a toddler’s life when a new baby arrives in the family. Simple but engaging text makes these titles easy and enjoyable to read to very young children.
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The new small person Lauren Child - Elmore must adjust to life with a new baby brother. Initially he keeps his distance but eventually realises that he and his brother can be friends. By the author of the very popular Charlie and Lola series.
- Bye-bye baby brother! Sheena Dempsey
- Ruby loves nothing more than playing, especially with Mum. But Mum is always so busy with Oliver, Ruby's little baby brother, and Ruby is tired of waiting. Babies are so boring. Ruby stomps out into the garden and there she begins to wonder what if she could magic Oliver away?
- Silly baby Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
- Beth has a new baby brother. He cries, he poos, he gets all the attention. Silly, silly Baby! But grandma shows Beth that he is small and soft and can smile at his big sister - and Beth thinks that maybe he isn’t so silly after all.
- Fine as we are Algy Craig Hall
- Little Frog was very happy just being with his mom. Then the baby frogs came. Lots of baby frogs.
- Angelina’s baby sister Katharine Holabird
- Angelina is really looking forward to having a new baby sister, but she finds she doesn’t get as much attention as she might like.
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The swap Jan Ormerod - Caroline is VERY jealous. So she goes to the Baby Shop and tries to swap her dribbly brother for a new baby. The trouble is, there’s something not quite right with any of them…
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Ginger Charlotte Voake - Ginger doesn’t like the naughty new kitten in his house but soon they are reconciled.
- The bear with sticky paws and the new baby Clara Vulliamy
- Pearl has a new baby brother and she’s not at all sure about him - SHE wants to be the baby! But when Pearl is joined by her anarchic side-kick, the bear, she realises that maybe her little brother isn’t too bad after all…
Other books
- The baby tree Sophie Blackall
- After learning that his parents are expecting a baby, a young boy asks several people where babies come from and gets a different answer from each before his parents have a chance to give the right answer. Includes advice on answering questions about reproduction.
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Big brothers don’t take naps
Louise Borden - Little brother Nick lists all the wonderful things his big brother does with him, preparing him to greet the new baby in the family.
- Mr Super Poopy Pants Rebecca Elliott
- Toby was looking forward to all the adventures he would have with his new baby brother. But Benjy can't run around, invent gadgets or fight crime. He just poops. All the time. Can Toby learn to love his little brother all the same?
- Spot’s baby sister Eric Hill
- Spot is excited about his new baby sister and soon she is happily playing with Spot and his friends.
- The bump Mij Kelly
- A funny and poignant book exploring a mother’s joy at being pregnant that will help children understand how much they are loved.
- Little sisters are and Little brothers are Beth Norling
- Little sisters and brothers can be tiny, cuddly, smelly and sad. They can be bouncy, lumpy, sticky and brave, they can be a lot of things, but most importantly, they can be your best friend.
- Hello baby Jenni Overend
- Warm portrayal of a family’s experience of home birth. Some quite graphic pictures.
- One special day Lola M. Schaefer
- Does having a new brother or sister make you into MORE than you already are? Spencer is about to find out. He’s as strong as a bear, as funny as a monkey, and as wild as a tiger. But on one special day, everything changes. Now Spencer is strong, funny, wild, brave, free… and gentle, too.
- Mummy, Mummy, what’s in your tummy? Sarah Simpson-Enock
- Every day Mummy’s tummy gets bigger and bigger but what could be inside? A fairy with wings? A boat painted blue? This little child just can’t wait to see what it could be!
