How to Be a Baby...by Me, the Big Sister by Sally Lloyd-Jones, Sue Heap (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Take it from the narrator of this book, an all-knowing big sister: when you're a baby you don't read books. You eat them. You don't know how old you are, or even if you're a boy or a girl. And you have to keep a special plug in your mouth to stop your scream from coming out. But one day, you won't be little anymore, and then you'll be taller and smarter, and actually quite clever. Like the narrator. And you'll be able to share memories of what it was like when you were little with your incredible Big Sister.

The New York Times

Sue Heap's illustrations complement the text in just the right way, and I can't imagine it looking any other way. In other words, this book is adorable, original, well-illustrated and fabulous.
&3151;Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Ilene Cooper - Booklist

*Starred Review* There are lots of books about kids and the babies they must endure, teach, and love, but few get the interaction down as perfectly as this marvelous melding of knowing observations and funny, sunny, on-the-money art. The narrator, a little blonde girl, has a long list of things that babies can't do. Go to school? No--stuck in a crib. Eat normal food? No--yucky baby food. Thinking of things that are inappropriate for babies reminds the girl of the many ways in which she's superior: babies don't have any real friends, but she has lots. The tall format offers plenty of room for the sweet, saucy, child-appealing watercolors, some looking as though they were created by the child herself; certainly the lines and squiggles on a few of the pages enhance that feel. Lists also cleverly adorn many of the pages, with headings such as "Things Babies Do That Are Illegal" (poop on the carpet). But in a heartwarming ending, Sister lists things that are nice about being a baby (people don't tell you to stop being a baby because you are one) and envisions the happy day when her brother gets big enough to follow her around, learn from her, and play with her friends (sometimes). With lots to look at, think about, and giggle at, this book will get many readings. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books

*Starred Review* The child perspective is spot on; it is clear that the baby is missing out on all the wonderful things in life that are at the center of the six-year-old world. What is most successful about the story is the original take on sibling relations; it doesn't overtly address resentment or jealousy or adjustment issues (though this will be a great salve for kids struggling with these issues), but humorously acknowledges that babies and kids are different and can do different things...This is perfect family fare and a welcome departure from storybooks that assume the worst when a new life joins the family.

Publishers Weekly

All the things that a baby needs to know—and more importantly, all the things that a big sister does know—are covered in this re-teaming of Lloyd-Jones and Heap (previously paired for Handbag Friends). Many of the observations take the form of handwritten lists, such as the one titled, "Here's what else you don't know," which includes entries such as "Any secrets/ Any jokes/ How to make a snowman/ Anything." But while these authentically snarky remarks effectively underscore the narrator's fragile sense of importance and maturity, the winsome, girly-hued watercolor-and-ink illustrations make clear that home is still a happy, secure place for everyone. And sure enough, the emotional tone of the book turns warmer midway through the book, as the bond between the newly minted siblings deepens. Readers see the girl comforting the baby in the middle of the night ("Don't worry, Baby Dumpling, it's just a scary dream") and simply savoring her cuteness (Heap shows the baby dressed in several undeniably adorable Halloween costumes). The final pages jump ahead a few years and find both children so close that they can share nostalgia for "the olden days when you were a baby"—a suitably sweet ending for this tribute to the way love grows. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Linda L. WalkinsCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal

K-Gr 3
"When you're a baby, you are in a crib and not in school," according to a worldly wise big sister, who reads from a book she has written for her new sibling. She itemizes a long list of things that babies cannot do, including play with her toys, sit in a car "like a normal person," or "have ANY pillows on your bed." Although she tends to focus on the negatives, in the end the unnamed protagonist admits that babies have some uses. She tells her brother that babies are "good at hugging" and "people smile at you because you're so small." She also describes what life will be like when he gets bigger, looking forward to the day when they will "laugh and point at pictures of you in the olden days when you were a baby." The comical cartoons subtly convey the love that the rosy-cheeked girl feels for her round, placid sibling despite his limited abilities. The text and illustrations are scattered across each page in varying patterns. Heap uses acrylic paint, crayon, and felt-tip pen in a pleasing palette of pinks, blues, and yellows to enhance the story with childlike charm. This amusing title could be paired with Amy Schwartz's humorous Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner (Scholastic, 1991). For a more poignant look at sibling relationships, young readers might prefer Shirley Hughes's Annie Rose Is My Little Sister (Candlewick, 2003).

Kirkus Reviews

A precocious big sister enumerates the discommodious nature of babyhood in this sassy tale. With unreserved glee, big sister dishes on the many pitfalls her younger sibling must endure. Included in her diatribe are hilarious asides that extol-naturally-her own superior position as the independent oldest. While Lloyd-Jones begins her story on a comical note, she deftly conveys the angry/wistful tumult of emotions children often feel when confronted with the arrival of a new addition. The acerbic tone of the older sibling may at times seem a bit much, but her wry musings are on target: Of the drawbacks of an infant carrier, she states "When you're a baby, / you don't carry a backpack. / You go in one." Midway through her baby rant, the older sister's monologue begins to convey softer, more poignant reflections, and the tale concludes on a fond note. Heap's acrylic-and-crayon illustrations feature pastel hues. Her comic-book-style sketches artfully capture the spunk of the older sister, while her use of the scrapbook-like lists, further detailing a baby's shortcomings, "written" by the sister, add both humor and interest. A perfect antidote to the new-baby blues for siblings. (Picture book. 4-8)

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