Love the Baby — Steven L. Layne

A big-brother bunny struggles to welcome his brand-new sibling in this sweet picture book with “a zesty layer of humor” (Booklist).

Older siblings are notorious for reluctantly welcoming home a new bundle of joy, and many parents know the difficulty of teaching the firstborn to “love the baby.” In this new picture book by the award-winning team of Steven Layne and Ard Hoyt, the refrain of “looooove the baby” is repeated often enough for it to eventually come true for the once-insecure and spiteful older brother.

The transition occurs when Baby cries and cries one night, and no one comes to help. Awakened by the cries, the older brother comes to Baby's rescue. He makes Baby giggle and sing and builds a giant tower of blocks. He reads Baby his favorite book. Once Baby is finally asleep, the big brother notices with pride that he really does love the baby after all!

Parents and teachers will appreciate how this book lightly and humorously approaches such a weighty subject for children awaiting or adjusting to a new sibling. With colorful illustrations of bunnies, kids of all backgrounds and ages can relate and recognize themselves in the story.
 
“There's certainly no shortage of books about a child's adjustment to a new baby in the house, but Layne's take on the familiar theme is sweet and direct enough even for very young children to grasp.” -- Booklist
 
“This story could well become a favorite for children who are grappling with accepting a new baby into the family.” -- School Library Journal