This book is a great way to prepare your child for a new arrival because it covers a range of emotions the child might feel (good and bad) and gives the child an idea of what a baby can and cannot do, and what the child can look forward to. I liked this book because it shows a positive image of a mother breast-feeding, which is great to prepare a kid for the new things Mom might be doing. Like other reviewers I agree that the pictures are great and captivate a young child's interest. However, the one thing that did not suit our particular situation was the fact that it describes how Mom will go to the hospital to give birth and we are having a home birth. We added our own words to compensate but I thought I'd let other home birth mothers know. Otherwise, a really nice book!

This is a GREAT book that talks to kids in their language and explains a lot about a new baby at home. LOVED IT!

I bought this book for my 2 year old as we prepared for his new sibling. Some of the text is a bit too much for such a young child, but the photos lend themselves to telling a story that children of any age can understand. He liked to see the pictures of tiny babies, and also liked to hear how the older children felt about the babies. I think this book really helped him to know what to expect. We have lots of "new baby" books, but I feel this one is superior - photographs rather than illustrations really help young children know what to expect.

I read this book many many times to my children as they expected new siblings (we have three kids). Now I am buying it for my nephew. The reason this book is different from other "New Baby" books is that it gives young children a voice for the often strong negative feelings of having a new sibling. Young kids, preschoolers and younger, can't put words to their emotions. This book shows young children who are angry at their new baby brother or sister, feel they are being abandoned by their parents, feel ignored, feel they don't get any attention anymore, can't stand the sound of crying, hate the smell of diapers that need changing, and more. Your child may not tell you he/she feels these things, but believe me, they all do.
Many parents think that if they keep telling their older child how wonderful the new baby is, and what a big boy/girl their older child is, and "be nice to your new baby," that it will sink in. Well it doesn't work. Older kids are very hurt/threatened/scared but the entry of a new baby in the home. Many liken it to the feelings a woman would have in her husband came home one evening with a new, younger wife and said, "Look what I brought you! Don't worry, I will still love you, even though I love my new wife very much, and I will still have time for you, even though I won't have as much. I want you to love my new wife just like I do, and help her out, because you are older and can do more." HA! Once a young child can see that he/she is not alone in having negative feelings, and can put words to those emotions, they can work on them, explain them to you, and believe it or not, they tend to abate.

We bought this for our daughter (along with the author's book "I'm going to be a big sister") and our daughter loves it. She loves looking at the photos of older siblings interacting with their newborn siblings. In fact, our daughter already wants to be involved with changing the diaper and giving baths.

Lets see how she feels in a few years when her sibling is three and follows her everywhere.

The New Baby at Your House is a book that prepares a sibling for all of the ups and downs of having a new baby in the house. With vivid full-color photographs, this book takes a child from a mother's pregnancy, to the first visit to see the baby in the hospital, to the arrival of the baby at home, and all of the new experiences thereafter. It's a great book for discussing the many feelings that a sibling will have toward his or her new brother or sister. I highly recommend this book for all parents to share with children who are preparing for the arrival of a new baby.

My oldest daughter was 20 months old when her sister was born...we stocked up on at least 10 books on being a big sister and new babies. This one, by far, was her favorite and I think I can recite it cover to cover with my eyes closed, as we have read it at least 100 times...

I think because it is filled with pictures of real children and babies, as opposed to illustrations, it really captured her attention. The language was on her level. We read this book for MONTHS after the new baby came home and it really helped us to identify how my daughter was feeling...she would nod her head adamantly at certain points in agreement and mimic some of the situations in the illustrations. It really helped us (her parents) to communicate with a barely talking (or understandable) toddler.

She is now 3 1/2, and we STILL are reading this book!