Reading books about a new baby can help young kids better understand and begin to adjust to the idea of becoming a big brother or sister. If you can help your toddler make an easier transition to older sibling, you’ll make the newborn stage a whole lot easier for everyone!
This post is all about our favorite books about a new baby to help prepare your toddler for a new sibling and their role as a big brother or sister.
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Books About a New Baby
What should you look for in books about a new baby?
- Relatable– The most important thing to look for is a story that your kids can relate to. You may even want to try changing the name of the main character to their name once in a while.
- Shows What Might Change– Your toddler has no idea how much this new baby is going to change their world. A story that shows changes like baby taking their old crib, having to share a room, or mom having two kids to hold will help them better understand the coming changes.
- Explains Babies- Finding books that explain how babies communicate with crying can leave your toddler less frustrated later on. And books that explain what babies eat and how they play can help keep your new baby safe once they make their arrival.
- Makes Them Feel Special– Books that make being a big brother/sister cool are super important. Choose books that show your toddler all the ways that they can be your little helper and all the things that make being a big sibling so much fun!
Our Favorite Books About a New Baby
#1. The Berenstain Bears' New Baby | Books About a New Baby
In, “The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby,” Little bear loves his life with mama and papa in the woods. But things suddenly begin to change. When papa bear takes little bear into the woods to build him a bigger bed, little bear finds out a new baby will soon be sleeping in his little bed. Little bear doesn’t know how he feels about the new baby, but after a good nights sleep in his new big boy bed he decides that being a big brother is going to be a lot of fun after all!
As a bonus, this book comes with a word search inside the cover and a whole sheet of stickers!
#2. God Gave Us Two | Books About a New Baby
“God Gave Us You,” has been one of my favorite books to read to our son since he was super little. I don’t think we can remind our kids enough that they are blessings in our lives (even though we all get frustrated with our kids sometimes). After finding out I was pregnant again, I discovered that the same author had also written “God Gave Us Two.” Of course, I had to get it!
“God Gave Us Two,” is a great book for those ever curious toddlers who might be a little hesitant about getting a new sibling. In this sweet story, little cub is full of questions! Little cub asks his mama why they need the new baby, if they can send the new baby back if they don’t like it, if her parents will forget her when the new baby comes, and so much more. The mama bear in the story answers these questions perfectly while reminding little cub that the new baby is a gift from God just as she was (and is still). This book is beautifully written to help kids understand, accept, and even get excited for their coming sibling.
This book is also a great choice for mommas having twins, as the end of the book holds a big surprise when mama bear comes home from the hospital with two babies!
#3. Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World | Books About a New Baby
I found this book, “Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World,” to be a fun twist on the classic big brother or big sister books out there. It works it way through all kinds of different animals including bats, armadillos, grizzly bears, hyenas, cheetahs, turkeys, beavers, anteaters, and more! However, I definitely recommend this book for slightly older toddlers. The longer paragraphs on each page make it a little difficult for younger kiddos to stay focused. This book is a fun way for a soon-to-be big brother or sister to learn fun animal facts too!
#4. Baby Belly | Books About a New Baby
“Baby Belly,” is an adorable wordless picture book that is great for young toddlers who may not yet understand their mom’s growing belly. In this sweet story, the little boy notices his mommy’s belly has gotten bigger and bigger. He wonders what in the world could be inside of her. He decides for a while that it must be a balloon. But talking with his mom and seeing all the baby stuff in his home, he realizes mommy must have a baby in her belly. The baby comes, mommy’s belly is gone again, and he has a new friend to play with at home. This is a great book for toddlers to look at along with you or to read on their own. This wordless picture book is also a great addition to a quiet corner for toddlers.
#5. Big Brother Daniel | Books About a New Baby
Since Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a favorite among many little ones, “Big Brother Daniel,” is the perfect book to introduce kids to the idea of becoming a big brother or sister. Big brother Daniel is always there to help his mom and dad with everything that his baby sister needs but Daniel still gets special time with his parents too! This book is great to show young toddlers how different things will be but also how exciting it all will be too!
#6. I Am a Big Brother/ I Am a Big Sister | Books About a New Baby
Caroline Jayne Church is one of my favorite kid book authors! In fact, “I Love You Through and Through,” is one of my favorite kid books we own! (And we own A LOT! Enough that we need to purchase a second book shelf for our toddlers books.) Her stories are the perfect length to hold my toddlers attention, the story lines are nothing short of adorable, and the illustrations are always amazing.
We are currenting reading, “I Am a Big Brother,” to help prepare our son for a younger sibling coming soon. It does a great job describing all that a new baby entails while also getting our toddler excited for the baby too. This book is actually one of his favorite books to read before bed! Caroline Jayne Church also has, “I Am a Big Sister,” if you are preparing your little girl to become a big sister. I personally have never read this one, but the amazing reviews on Amazon tell me it’s just as good as all her other books!
#7. Babies Don't Eat Pizza | Books About a New Baby
The book, “Babies Don’t Eat Pizza,” is a great book for older toddlers to learn all about their coming younger sibling. It goes through how the baby grows while inside their mommy’s tummy, what the baby will look like when it is born, and how the baby will breastfeed or drink from a bottle until they are ready to try mashed food (aka no pizza).
On top of explaining how the baby will grow and change, this book also attempts to help your toddler understand that crying is the way that babies communicate. This book tells both sides of the story and explains that somedays it’s fun to be an older sibling and others it might be hard work. This book teaches your toddler that it’s okay to feel frustrated or sad sometimes and it’s okay to talk to you about it too. Reminding your toddler to keep an open line of communication is the best way to prevent meltdowns when the new baby does come.
This post was all about the best books about a new baby to make your toddlers transition from only child to older sibling go smoothly. I hope it does just that!
