My family anticipates the arrival of my daughter at some point in the next three or four weeks, so I thought it was time to revisit two more outstanding new baby books. I have mentioned a few that Raisin and I have enjoyed in the past. See this post.

The first I want to mention is one I requested on netgalley: Henry Helps with the Baby by Beth Bracken and illustrated by Ailie Busby (published 2012, Picture Window Books).  As the title suggests, Henry has a little sister that needs lots of help. “Henry is good at helping!” When the baby needs a diaper, Henry gets it. When she is eating, he gets her a burp cloth. He shares his bath toys, he gives her a kiss, and he sings her a lullaby. The illustrations are kid-like paintings that capture the fun of being a kid, but they are also realistic enough to capture the ways in which Henry actually is helping his sister and his parents. The book gives a great message for young kids and may help an older sibling prepare for the arrival of a newborn.

Raisin really related to Henry, and as I mentioned in one of my posts months ago, he already anticipates how much help he’ll be with his baby sister: he pretends she’s crying in my tummy and comes to tell her (through my belly button) that it’ll be okay. Shortly after I requested this picture book via netgalley, I found it and a few others in the Henry Helps series at the library. He has enjoyed all of them that we’ve read. Raisin loves telling me the ways he can help me!

Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds (published 2007, Atheneum Books) is more of a mother-daughter book, and a book for a mother to treasure. My friend received it when she was pregnant with her daughter, and she thought of me when she found that I was also having a girl. The book begins with a new mother kissing her babies fingers (“One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one”), and then leads in to the dreams she has for her girl “someday.” The mother hopes that her daughter will have adventures and realize joy and feel real emotions throughout the difficulties of life. The most memorable page for me was the page that read “Someday I will watch you brush your child’s hair.” Yes, it made me cry to read it. I love how in this book a mother’s love for her daughter is magnified into hopes for her happiness as one considers how life will progress. Add to Alison McGhee’s sweet words Peter Reynold’s soft pen, ink and watercolor illustrations and hand-lettered text, and the book is simply fantastic. I can’t wait to look at my treasured newborn daughter at some point in the coming weeks and hope for her future!