"On Mother's Lap," Ann Herbert Scott with illustrator Glo Coalson
(Clarion Books, $6.99)
BEST FOR Ages 3 to 6
Michael loves to rock with his mother and insists on bringing his toys, his blanket and more to sit with mom on the rocker. Once he is finally comfortable, his baby sister cries, and he thinks Mother's lap is too small for baby to rock, too. Will there really be enough room? Will he enjoy snuggling close with both? This beautiful tale of an Eskimo family learning to be a family together uses pencil drawings to illustrate the traditional clothing and surroundings. Older children will love the title-page illustration, which shows the family going into their house after a dog-sled ride home in the snow. Children who are struggling with a new baby already may relate most to this story about a family's evolution.
Preparing kids for a new sibling
The arrival of a new baby brings many activities, such as buying diapers and setting up a new room. But how can parents prepare older siblings for a new baby? Here are a few books to help open the dialogue between parents and siblings-to-be about a new bundle of joy moving into the house.
-- Compiled by Lisa Smart, special to the Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas
