The New Baby (Little Critter)

With a few younger siblings, it was easy for me to understand this book. The author did a nice job with these books, bringing in near-universal childhood experiences to the world of Little Critter.

I enjoyed this book simply because it introduces the idea of gaining a new sibling as a child and the aspects that go along with it. New beginnings and changes are evident throughout this book, which tends to be the theme or overall message. The character represented is excited to meet the new member of the family, but seems as if he does not know what the baby is capable of. Mercer Mayer, the author, exclaims, "I got out my ball and bat and my favorite games to show to the baby." Little does he know, the newborn baby does not know how to play with those toys. He quickly realizes this and starts to read his favorite picture book out loud to the baby, where she did not pay attention to him and chose to cry. Later on, Mayer included, "Mom show more says we can cuddle her... and rock her to sleep." After being introduced the concepts of a baby sibling, he grasps that he can take the baby for a walk, where his friends think about how lucky he is. On another hand, the facial expressions of the character tell a story themselves. For example, when he questions, "What can you do with a new baby?" his face looks curious and confused on what to do. Or when he gives the baby a rattle to play with, he closes his eyes as that is a natural instinct of someone. Readers are able to recognize what it is like to become an older sibling through Mayer's words and illustrations. show less

There were some qualities of the book, The New Baby that I did and did not like. I do like the main character because he is easily relatable to children. The story’s plot involves his parents having a new baby, so he is trying to play and develop a relationship with his new baby sister. Young children can relate to the character and what happens in the story because their parents are typically having babies. A child can read this book to develop a sense of what it is going to be like to have a baby sibling around. Also, I noticed on every page that there was a mouse hidden somewhere. I think this is a cool feature to add because children that read it can try to find where the mouse is on every page. Although it is for small children, show more I found that the book had poor language. It was very basic and did not have repetition to make it easier for children to read. I believe the message of the story is that something may not always work out in the beginning, but after time it always can. At first, the character did not like his new baby sister; however, over time he found out how to play and have fun with her. I liked the book, but I believe it is mainly for young children or preschoolers. show less

A perfect book for my family, which has just had a new addition as well. My oldest daughter is only two, so I appreciate stories that are at her level. The story is concise and funny. As with other books in this series, Mayer really captures a young child's perspective in this book. I love when Little Critter asks what a baby can actually do. The story is sweet and the illustrations are cute. I feel like my review of every Little Critter book is the same, but I love them all equally, I guess. This is another great one.

This book was clearly written in a different time. Apparently, the only warning that Little Critter had that he was getting a new sister was on the *day she came home*. That's not realistic to how most children today are raised!

It does show a normal, if somewhat idealized reaction to a new baby - Little Critter can't show her his favorite toys, but he *can* let her pull his finger.

I was a little disappointed to see the presumably newborn baby left alone in a crib with a bottle - my nieces were always held when fed.

Summary-Little Critter gets a new baby sister. He doesn't understand why the baby won't pay attention to anything he does and gets frustrated when she won't laugh at his jokes or anything. Eventually, Little Critter figures out what he actually can do with a new baby and turns out to be a great big brother.
Personal Reaction-This book explains easily and perfectly to a little kid whose life is changing and who is about to get a new baby brother or sister. I read this to my son when he was about a year old for the first time to help transition him into getting a new baby brother in his life. Also several times when the baby was born because he got jealous a lot. This book seemed to help a ton because he understood quickly. It reassured show more Samuel that he would lose any love or attention from Mommy and Daddy.
Classroom Extension-Have a classroom discussion about having a new baby brother or sister, or both! Kids with younger sibling can share their experiences and advice with the others. show less

The New Baby by Marcer Mayer is one of the Little Critter books. I enjoyed this book because it teaches kids about new baby and that you have to be careful with them but they can still be fun to have in your family. In this book the main boy is learning how to play with his new baby sister. His mom explains to him the things baby like and can do. "Mom says we can cuddle her and rock her to sleep. We can tickle her tummy and make her laugh or give her a rattle to play with." The pictures in the book are very detailed but do not have to much going on, the illustrator makes it clear on what the reader is to focus on. the story is very cute and sweet.