She’s Having a Baby! (Or Book Recs for the Expectant Parent)

Maybe it’s because summer is finally here, or maybe it’s the stage of life I’m in, but it seems like women all around me are having babies! A good friend just announced that she is expecting, and then the fabulous bloggers at Mrs. Nelson’s Toy &  Book Shop covered their favorite baby books, and I was struck by a wave of blogging inspiration (hard to come by these days when my day job and my night job- mom to two small but very energetic children- keep me so busy!) I love to give books to parents-to-be- either helping first-time parents build their baby’s library, or giving second-time parents the best tool for getting their older children excited about a new sibling. Here are a few of my favorite gifts, and I would love to hear your favorite new baby book recommendations in the comments below! Note: I received three copies each of Goodnight Moon and Pat the Bunny at my first shower, so I have left off classics like those in the hopes of sharing lesser-known books with you.

New Sibling Books and Explaining Pregnancy to Your First Child:

Mama, What’s in There? by Diane Muldrow, illustrated by Rick Peterson

For older siblings-to-be who are still too young to understand exactly what’s going on with mom’s pregnancy, this adorable board book shows many different types of pregnant animal mothers and the babies in their tummies. Simple art and catchy rhyming text make it a great read-aloud for young toddlers.

 

How to Be a Baby…By Me, the Big Sister by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Sue Heap

This book was a runaway hit at our house when I was pregnant with my second baby. My daughter could not get enough of the bossy but endearing narrator of the book, the big sister instructing her baby brother on all the reasons it is more fun to be the older sibling than the baby. Some of the hilarious reasons include: “When you’re a baby, you don’t read books. You eat them,” and “When you’re a baby, you don’t have good manners AT ALL. You pull other people’s glasses off, and grab their noses, and spit your food on them.” Norah still remembers some lines from this book verbatim and will scream them at my son when he gets into her stuff or otherwise irritates her.

What a Good Big Brother! by Diane Wright Landolf, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

A more gentle look at the role of older sibling, this sweet picture book shows kids that, while they may not be able to change a diaper, give a bottle, or care for their new baby brother or sister, they can smile, entertain and make the baby laugh. This is a great way to show small children what their “job” can be once the baby is born.

(Honorable mentions go to The New Baby by Mercer Mayer and The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby by Stan and Jan Berenstain, classic “explaining” books for kids, although upon closer reading I found it very strange that Mama Bear delivered Sister Bear while Papa Bear was out crafting a toddler bed in the woods!)

Mothers and Fathers-to-Be:

Someday by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

This book is best given with a box of Kleenex to an emotional pregnant woman. It never failed to make me misty when I read it pre-baby, and still doesn’t, even now. A mother hopes and dreams of the best and brightest future for her baby, and the book perfectly captures those wishes for a baby’s potential life in simple but effective text.

Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here! by Barbara Park, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli

This hilarious poem is a “word from your baby-in-waiting.” Really, what else does your baby have to do in utero but wait- as the baby says, “There’s nothing to see here! Not one scrawny tree here! Not a sandbox or swings. Or those monkey bar things. Not a park or a zoo. MA! There’s nothing to do!” Barbara Park wrote this poem as a gift for her daughter-in-law’s baby shower after seeing her grandson’s sonogram, and it makes a perfect shower gift as well as a charming read aloud for shower guests!

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

This was a childhood favorite of mine and one that I bought for myself as soon as I found out I was pregnant. It is one of the most moving and beautiful books I’ve ever read and its powerful message of fulfilling your dreams and making the world a more beautiful place resonates with small children and adults alike. I love the “Lupine Lady” and I know you will, too.

For the Hipster Parents-to-Be:

New Baby’s Baby Journal by Michelle Sinclair Colman, illustrated by Nathalie Dion

There are many new baby journals out there, but this is an adorable choice for less-traditional parents. The book is based on the fantastic board book Urban Babies Wear Black and features weekly journal space as well as writing prompts like “What We Almost Named You” and “Baby’s Favorite Song,” along with more common firsts, like “First Smile” and “First Words.”

The ABC’s of Rock by Melissa Duke Mooney, illustrated by Print Mafia

This book doesn’t come out until October 12, but I just love it so much I had to include it on this list. For any friends of mine who are or will be pregnant this fall, you will undoubtedly be getting this from me- it is the perfect present for moms and dads who rock! The book covers all 26 letters of the alphabet and forty decades of rock music in gritty and graphic concert posters by the uber-talented design team Print Mafia. This is the perfect way to teach your babies the alphabet, from AC/DC to ZZ Top and everything in between!

My Favorite Pick For Women Pregnant with Girls:

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko

I am going to go so far as to say this is one of the definitive books to give a baby girl. My mom read this to me as a child, and I have read it many, many times already to my daughter. She doesn’t understand why Elizabeth doesn’t marry Ronald in the end (spoiler alert!) but since she is in her Disney Princess phase, I will cut her some slack and hope that the girl power message seeps in over time! The pictures are so clever, and the text is spare, dry and pitch-perfect. One of my all time favorites!

* After I wrote this post a few more great choices popped into my head- Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury, Little Boy by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds, and Your Favorite Seuss by Dr. Seuss- so many great books, so little blogging time!