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.
My son 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. He loves telling me the ways he can help me!
My family anticipates the arrival of my daughter at some point in the next three or four weeks!
I read a digital review copy of this book for review consideration.
