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I Used To Be the Baby


Author(s):
Robin Ballard (Illustrator)
Binding: Hardcover
Pubilication Date: 2002-04-01
Publisher: Greenwillow
Pages: 24
SKU: 0060295864

Avg. Rating:
Description:

"I used to be the baby, but now I am big." So begins this story of a not-very-big sibling who suddenly finds himself with a baby brother. He willing shares his toys with the baby, he plays with him, and he knows when to be quiet. He sings a cheerful song when it is needed, and he teaches his brother many useful lessons. But sometimes even the biggest of us likes to be the baby -- and in this loving family, that is no problem at all!


4.592
Exceeded expectations
We have a 2 yr old boy, and our 2nd boy is due in November so the set up of this book corresponds with our situation. Our son loves it and it has helped him learn the concept of becoming a big brother. He even kisses the baby in the book.


Decent book, not great
I have a two year old son with another one on the way. Trying to get across the concept that "the end of the world as he knows it is fast approaching" is not an easy one, so I turned to a number of books such as this one.

The pictures are done quite nicely, but my big complaint is that the text itself doesn't make a lot of sense to me. When reading this book to our son, we frequently make up totally different words than what's written in the book. For example, I don't believe there's a single rhyme in the whole book.

I do agree that the book does present some difficult situations that may trouble an older sibling (like the baby taking toys, etc.) But I would recommend instead something like "The New Baby" by Mercer Mayer


Great for new siblings
This book helped my two year old a lot. It explains things in cause and effect which is great for there little minds. I often recommend it to friends who are expecting.


Great Book for the Big Kid
I bought this book for my oldest daughter who is now 17 months old when she became a big sister at only a year old. She loved it then and still loves it now. I read the pages and compare the two children in the book to her and her baby sister. She loves it and loves to point out the baby. Cute book.


4.592
Fun sibling rivalry
My 2 1/2 year old loves this book. It has great pictures of a baby being annoying and then how the older brother can help the baby. My only quibble is that the first situation is resolved by feeding the baby a bottle. I wish our culture wasn't so full of bottle pushers when breastfeeding is also a great way to feed a baby!


A positive portrayal of sibling relations
In "I Used to Be the Baby," by Robin Ballard, a young boy describes life with his baby brother. The book combines friendly, colorful illustrations with an easy-to-read text. Sample text: "I used to be the baby, but now I am big. I have a baby brother, and I help Mommy take care of him."

The text and illustrations show the narrator doing many activities with his baby brother: playing with him, singing to him during a car ride, reading to him from a baby board book, etc. This is a sweet, charming book that shows a positive picture of an older brother interacting with a baby sibling. I really liked the cartoony pictures.


totally charming
The harried mother in the background is delightful, fun for an adult to notice, while the foreground action is what's going on between the "big boy" and his baby brother - feeding the hungry baby toast & jam (and the look on the mother's face) was priceless. Another in this series of must-haves for the nursery-school book shelf.


wonderful
we are reading this book in preparation for the birth of our second son. i enjoyed how the author takes situations that might cause an older sibling frustration and turns them into chances to "help mommy out". it's a good chance to give suggestions to a child as to how they might mitigate problems they have with their sibling.


Good book that helps a child through new-baby transition
I liked the illustrations (when you read it, notice the mother's expressions...some are hilarious!), and the language was the right level for a small child. My daughter is two and loves it. My only beef was with the while bottle-feeding thing. I breastfeed my son, and this book certainly didn't help my daughter understand that because it portrays the baby being fed with a bottle. But, hey, you can't please everybody! Otherwise, a great book.