Ready, Set . . . Baby! - Hardcover

The award-winning freelance writer Elizabeth Rusch is the author of a number of award-winning nonfiction titles for children, including: Generation Fix, Will it Blow?,The Planet Hunter, and For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart. Her previous Scientists in the Field titles include Eruption!, The Mighty Mars Rovers and The Next Wave. Elizabeth lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family. You can visit Liz online at www.elizabethrusch.com and follow her on Twitter @elizabethrusch.

Qin Leng was born in Shanghai, and lived in France and Montreal. She now lives and works as a designer and illustrator in Toronto. To learn more, visit qinleng.tumblr.com

PreS-K—Anna and Oliver take readers on a whirlwind tour of life with a brand-new baby in the house. With a conversational style, the siblings address readers directly, offering information and advice based on their own experiences: "Lots of people are probably telling you what to expect, but kids in the know can give you the real deal." Anna, the older of the pair, imparts simple facts such as, "Moms have a special compartment inside for growing babies." Oliver, the younger sibling, expresses common emotions including wonder and boredom. While waiting for the baby to arrive, he thinks, "This is worse than waiting for pizza to be delivered." The big brother and sister present useful guidance on everything from how to hold a newborn (sit down, cradle its head, speak softly) to diaper changes (it's not that bad) to accepting that infants are not yet equipped to play ("playing with a new baby is like playing with a loaf of bread."). The content centers on what happens after the baby comes home; the author doesn't discuss how the baby gets into Mom's "special compartment." Leng's vignette-style cartoons add humor and capture the family's wide range of facial expressions, body language, and feelings—from anxious anticipation to quiet surprise. Speech bubbles break up the text and highlight some of the siblings' more personal reactions ("WHAT IS THAT?" Oliver asks while pointing to the baby's "little black stump" of an umbilical cord). Back matter steers interested children and caregivers to additional material, including websites and books such as Robie H. Harris's What's in There: All About Before You Were Born. There are even tips for parents on how to help a child adjust to a new sibling. VERDICT Lighthearted and funny, this is an ideal book to share with soon-to-be big brothers and sisters.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal