NEW BABY!

Toddler Kai navigates the transition to big brotherhood with the help of his parents.

By providing lots of reassurance and clear explanations, Kai’s parents guide him through his anxiety, pride, and even anger at the arrival of his new little sibling. The story features an interracial, heteronormative family with a White-presenting mom and brown-skinned dad. All plays out exactly as one might expect: Welcoming a new sibling isn’t easy, but the older child winds up feeling secure in his place in the family. With cool colors and a muted palette, the illustrations are sweet if a little bland. The real strength of this book is the way that it models for caregivers how to validate a child’s feelings and provide comfort. For example, Kai’s mother identifies his anger, gives him words for what he’s experiencing, and reminds him, “I love you, Kai, even when you’re angry.” As a part of the Terrific Toddler series, it includes a note to parents and caregivers at the end with advice related to helping a toddler welcome a new baby. Two other books in the series publish simultaneously, Potty! and Time To Go! They address helping children learn to use the toilet and transition from activity to activity, respectively. Oddly, given the audience, the relatively wordy text is printed on flimsy paper pages instead of board.

High marks for validating toddlers’ feelings but otherwise unremarkable.