I'm Going to Be a Big Sister! Hardcover – April 1, 2007

My 3 year old daughter loves this book, and it has definitely been a staple as we've been preparing for the birth of her sister. So, overall, I must rate it positively. I disagree with other reviews that call it too graphic; it covers the biological basics very basically and uses quite neutral language (so birth canal - we've told my daughter that the baby will come out of my vagina because that is a term she knows, but obviously there are widely different levels of comfort with this and I feel the book does a good job walking a middle line). On the negative side, it's not particularly well written and there are some fairly annoying gender stereotypes scattered throughout. So mom does all the housework and dad comes home from work. And Amanda looks forward to putting on make-up with grandma when her parents are at the hospital. Again, this is going to be fine for some parents and not fine for others, but I am far more bothered by my 3 year old thinking playing with makeup is OK than I am with her using anatomically specific terms for a biological process. In sum, it is a useful but far from perfect book. And the final answer must be that books in general, and this one in specific, will help you start conversations with your older child or children about coming siblings, but it's up to you to craft that conversation into one that fits with your family situation and sense of appropriateness.

I bought this book for my 21 month old who will be a big sister some time in the next month or so. It's a great book that explains in good detail what it really means to be a big sister. Some of the concepts are a little bit advanced for kids under two, but I would prefer to introduce things that my daughter will grow into vs. things she's already learned. I also bought a couple of other books that are more geared to her age level so between the three we've got opportunities to just look at pictures with brief text and we can read in more detail about what being a Big Sister entails.The CD that comes with the book has a short, peppy song on it that reiterates what it means to be a big sister: "Watch me baby...this is how you walk...this is how you talk...this is how you sing...I will show you everything." We listened to it the other day and my daughter really enjoyed it and asked to hear it multiple times. Which could be a good or a bad thing, depending upon your tolerance for children's songs!

I bought this for my 2 year old as we prepare for a new baby. She was enthralled with everything from the things Amanda likes to do, to the scene where Amanda and her mom are riding in a car to the grocery store, to the way Amanda would interact with the baby after it was born. My daughter made me read the pages about the parents going to the hospital overnight, and the grandmother coming to care for Amanda, 6 times in a row the very first time we read the book. That really helped her process what will happen for us, too. She really identified with the story, and it launched so many useful conversations between us (from mom's changing body to safe and unsafe toys to parents being away during the birth to washing hands to playing with the new baby). We're so glad we got this book.

We are expecting our 2nd child and I was really worried how to prepare my first for the big change. I ordered several big sister books and this was my favorite. My daughter is 2 1/2 but very smart, so she picks up on lots of things, and is much more comfortable with things if we talk about them first. This book goes through so much information that I would have never thoguht about talking to her about.Just for the record, I skip the page with the drawings and descriptions of the birth canals, because I just don't think we are ready for that, but my daughter has never wondered why I don't read that page, we just plot along.I would reccomend this book to anyone getting ready to have a sibling and I would put it in your 'read often' pile for the last few months.Good Luck!

We have a 2 year old and we found this book ideal to explain our daughter about her soon to be brother. Personally, it is perhaps a hair too long and dense for a 2 year old but nothing that extra cuddles and some explanation can't solve. I didn't find it extraordinarily stereotypical (as she plays princess and doctor as well) nor the mom's drawing of the uterus too graphic. Then again, I personally prefer to explain a body part than "twerking". Simple enough but to the point, it explains all the changes that occurs on mom's body and around her life and helps integrating your daughter into her new role as a big sister. If you are not afraid to read the words "uterus" and "birth canal" to your child, this book is a little jewel.

This is my second copy, as our first got worn out from lots of love. A very appropriate book for big sisters to-be in the 3-6 year old range. Explains what your child can expect and how to help take care of and play with the new baby appropriately. I wish the author and illustrator would have made a more accurate description/drawing of the womb/"birth canal" (as they call it) because my daughter had a lot of questions related to this aspect of childbirth. But again, appropriate for the age group mentioned.

My daughter is almost 4 and she absolutely loves this book. At first we would skip some of the lines because it was a bit to "wordy" for a preschooler. However, after several attempts she now sits through the entire reading as the book outlines the various changes that will occur as we get ready for baby. The book discusses mommy's growing tummy, safe baby toys and even what will happen when mommy goes to the hospital: this aids my daughter's excitement as we prepare for her baby brother.

Love the book, it does exactly what it is intended for.However I was disappointed to see that it didn't include the mp3 as suggested on the order page and front of the book. And the only way I could contact the supplier about it was to request for a replacement or refund which isn't possible as my child is already attached to it.I guess the price reflects the inclusion of the mp3 so to me it's not worth the price as I bought a different one for a friend which was way cheaper and does the same job as this book.

I bought this book for my daughter when I was expecting my son. Although they use American terms mom, diaper etc, I would definitely recommend this book. It explains in a child friendly way the stages of pregnancy (mummys tummy is growing and you can feel the baby kicking, things are changing around the house in preparation for the new baby), labour (when mummy goes into labour, grandma will come and look after you and mummy may have to spend a few days in hospital, it also has a really simplistic way of describing how the baby comes out - which is every parent's nightmare trying to explain!), when the baby is born (you need to keep dangerous toys e.g. marbles out of the way, as a big sister you will love, teach, help and care for the baby as you have the most important job of all, being a sister.My daughter still reads this book and my son is almost 2!At the back of the book it also gives parents tips on how to make older siblings feel more involved in the new baby's arrival.

I wanted a book that was positive about being a big sister for my four year old, who's very excited about her upcoming baby sibling. So many books focus on coping with jealousy or negative feelings about a new baby, so it was great to find one that is takes an optimistic view of all the changes that come with a new baby. I also liked how the book introduced practical concepts in an age-appropriate way, such as making sure choking hazards are kept out of reach.The writing is a little American (diapers and Mommys) but it's easy to translate into British terms while reading aloud.

Nice book, but I was suprised that there is already picture and explanation how the baby cames out and of the uterus canal :) for my 3 years old is way too soon :)

It was a useful book for my older daughter. She kept referring to it as the big day was coming up.