101 Things to Do with Baby

With sweet, simple illustrations and few words, Jan Ormerod paints a beautiful portrait of a loving family. Big sister learns to help, share, and enjoy her new brother. The illustrations show an affectionate family in realistic, every-day situations; washing up, nap time, jogging with Mother, a visit from Grandma, a Saturday picknick, and more. I bought this book for myself before I had children because I thought it was so sweet. It is now a favorite of both my little ones.

The book incorporates many positive examples of how a family can integrate and include a new baby into its routine (i.e., the baby does not have to put a damper on the family time, as too many people think). Lots of images of big sister playing with the baby, and a variety of activities. My only negative impressions were the baby sleeping in a crib alone, and some of the pictures seem outdated (the baby & toddler strapped into the car via some harness contraption). But it does include babywearing, many father-child images, nursing, and an overall positive relationship with each member of the family. This would be a good book to read to the soon-to-be big brother or sister to help him/her adjust to the new arrival.

Jan Ormerod renders more than 101 snapshots of life with a small baby in his (her?) charming book, ``101 Things to Do with a Baby." The simple line drawings capture the intimacy of family life, the hundreds of small moments--from splashy baths and windy walks to flower-picking and laundry-sorting, that comprise family life. The tone of the pictures and text is endearing without being sentimental, and the characters--the big sister in particular--are treated with affection and humor. Both my baby and my "big girl" love this book, and have made it a favorite bed-time choice