The Baby Sister

Tommy’s mother is pregnant, and Tommy is begging to have a little sister with red ribbon in her hair. Tommy paints pictures for the baby’s room, feels the baby kicking, and can’t wait to have a baby sister or baby brother! Soon, Tommy’s mom goes to the hospital and his grandmother comes to stay with him and his brother. Tommy does not like the way his grandmother tells him what to do, and he is becoming unhappy. On the way to school one day, Tommy’s mom waves to him out of her hospital window. She tells him to listen to his grandma and that she will be home very soon. Tommy decides to be friends with his grandma, and they are getting along well. Then, Tommy’s mom comes home with his new baby sister – and a red ribbon in show more her hair.
I think this would be a very cute book to read to an elementary school class. Many children have siblings, so it would be an easy book to relate too. I also think it is a great book because it portrays a new sibling in a positive light, which could help a student who is nervous about a new baby in the family.
I absolutely loved the fact that this book was based on Tomie dePaola’s life. He was always very close to his sister growing up and that is what inspired him to write the book. show less

Tommy is having a new baby in the house, and all he wants is a sister with a big red bow. He misses his mom a lot when she is away delivering the baby, but is ecstatic that he receives a little sister. This is a wonderful story to read when a child is expecting a younger sibling. It reminded me a lot when I realized I was no longer going to be an only kid. I was so happy, and all I wanted was a sister. Of course, when I saw my grandma with a luggage full of baby things and two ugly dresses for me, my attitude changed. I truly believe though a sibling is a real friend forever. I might use this book to tie in a lesson when teaching a smaller, grade level class on family.

The Baby Sister is a story about a young boy named Tommy anticipating the arrival of his baby sister. Surprisingly, Tommy is excited for his baby sister and prays she will be born with a red ribbon in her hair. He's sad when his mom has to stay in the hospital for a few days after giving birth. He gets excited when he hears the car pull into the driveway and see his mom get out the car with a bundle in her hands. Tommy is the happiest boy in the world. Some children are upset when their younger siblings are born but not Tommy. He couldn't wait for his sister to be born. This story can relate to students because most children have siblings and can experience this. The author Tomie related this story to when his younger sister Maureen was show more being born. They were always best friends. I know I was excited at first when my mom was pregnant with my two younger brothers. The illustrations in the story are done really well and I know students would love this book. show less

A semi-autobiography of dePaola's childhood and the arrival of his sister. Overall it's not very satisfying, and has the feeling of someone making pretty normal events with flair into a story. The story also gets a little sad in the middle as dePaola is kept away from his mom. Nothing special here, but could be useful for a family preparing a child for a new arrival, especially if the mom will be away for a while.

This book is about a little boy whose mother is pregnant and he is getting a baby sister. As his mother is in the hospital he is stuck at home with his grandmother, whom he does not like because she does not speak english. This book was a little sad because the boy was away from his mother for so long, however in the end he is so happy because he gets a little sister. This book would be good for a child who is soon to be an older sibiling and help them understand that many children go through this experience.

This was a great book for anyone who is new to being a big brother or sister. I think this would be a great read in or out of the classroom and have children share about their family. This could be a great workshop lesson to have the kids share and write about their family. The author does a great job with the connections and the illustrations.

This is a cute story about about young tommy anticipating the birth of his little sister. It is a good read aloud book for toddlers who are expecting a youner sibling because it teaches that you are still loved even though there is a new baby coming and things a toddler can do to help with the arrival of the new baby. To find out more about this author and her books go to tomie.com. The website offers a biography of the author and cool pictures from her life