Hello Baby! by Lizzy Rockwell, Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Now in paperback, a picture book, told from a child's perspective, about what to expect when Mom's expecting.

Sesame Street Parents

What distinguishes this new book from many others on the subject is its abundance of factual information for preschoolers. A little boy talks about the baby growing in Mommy's body, in a place called the womb. At the doctor's office he listens to the baby's heartbeat and looks at a chart to see how a baby grows. And on the day his sister comes home, he helps Daddy bathe her. The details regarding pregnancy, the warm tone, and the bright pictures make this a really rewarding book to read and talk about with your child when you are expecting.

Publishers Weekly

A preschool-age boy actively helps to prepare for the homecoming of his new sister in Rockwell's (Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition) reassuring account. The young narrator shares with the reader an upbeat version of what to expect, starting with accompanying Mommy to an obstetrical appointment and ending with the boy's success at distracting the crying newborn with a musical toy. Along the way, stylized but essentially realistic illustrations show calm, smiling characters: white-haired Grannie, phone held to her ear, reports news of the birth to the beaming narrator; parents, boy and newborn snuggle in the hospital bed. Rockwell integrates a factual approach (there is a gestation-period chart) and a down-home quality (the boy compares his belly button with the baby's umbilical scab and later reports that the baby "sounds like a cat when she cries"). Emphasis and proportion accurately reflect a happy child's point of view. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)

Children's Literature

Mom is expecting and her little toddler boy has an opportunity to acquire sound information about gestation and birth. He learns that the baby grows in his mother's body in a place called a womb. He hears the baby's heartbeat when Mom goes for a check up, and he anxiously awaits news of the new baby's arrival along with his grandparents. When the baby is born, he goes to the hospital and gets to hold his new baby sister in his lap. When she comes home, he is the one who finds a way to stop her crying. The factual information is excellent, and it is presented in a way that is accessible to young kids. The drawings are soft and warm. This wonderful story of a baby's development and birth is perfect for any family awaiting the arrival of a new addition.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1From a chart on how a baby grows in utero to the end of her first day home, this book covers the entire birthing process as described by an older brother. The opening pages present information about the fetus, while the middle section shows the family getting ready and the boy and his grandmother waiting anxiously for the big moment. Rather than delve into the boys emotional responses to having a new sibling, the book objectively presents intimate images and experiences: the baby inside the womb (shown in mothers tummy and in a full-page close-up), the mother nursing her, the boy and his dad carefully sponging around the umbilical cord scab. There is comfort in the honesty and straightforward familiarity of the text, which is supported by soft colored-pencil drawings. At times the boy looks flat on the page, and his teardrop eyes and round head are more cartoonlike than realistic. However, when Eliza hits the scene the artwork really shines, as Rockwell captures both the skinny helplessness and surprising individuality of a newborn. Readers who have already welcomed a new baby into their home will enjoy remembering the events portrayed here while future siblings will gain insight into whats in store for them.Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Rockwell (who illustrated Anne Rockwell's Halloween Day, 1997, etc.) focuses on a young boy as he and his family prepare for the birth of his baby sister. The precocious narrator confidently discusses the growth of the baby in his mommy's womb and describes visits to the obstetrician to hear the baby's heartbeat. Also covered are the arrangements for the boy's care while his mother is in labor, the hospital visit, and baby's arrival at home. The young narrator reflects on how his baby sister is not yet used to the concept of day and night and when she, at one point, becomes inconsolable, he fetches a favorite toy to soothe her. In a refreshing departure from other books about siblings, this one does not address negative feelings of anxiety, trepidation, or jealousy. Instead, the approach of the text is optimistic, reflected in Rockwell's bright, cheerful illustrations. Age-appropriate pictures cover fetal development, including a wonderfully informative spread entitled "How a baby grows," charting the period from conception to term. An upbeat, encouraging account. (Picture book. 5-8)

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