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Summary
Summary
Samuel will be a big brother soon, and on Monday during show-and-tell he announces that he is having a baby. Before long, his kidergarten classmates join in the fun and by Friday, each of them is "expecting" to add a new member to the classroom family--from triplets to a beagle to a stegosaurus and even a dump truck!
But Samuel's excitment dampens as he worries about sharing his toys with the new baby, stinky diapers, and too much crying. Maybe having a baby isn't all fun and games after all.
Can Samuel's eager friends and a caring teacher help him to be ready for the big day?
Author Notes
MARK ELKIN is a public school teacher in San Francisco, California. He has taught in elementary classrooms for over fourteen years and is available for school visits. This is his first book.
AMY WUMMER is an award-winning children's book illustrator of over fifty titles. She received the Highlights for Children Cover of the Year award in 1998 and 2007, the 2006 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Highlights for Children Illustrator of the Month award in October 2003 and November 2007, and was a 2002 Gold Medallion Book Award finalist..
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A standout original title among new-baby picture books. During show-and-tell in kindergarten class, soon-to-be big brother Samuel blurts out, "I'm having a baby!" Samuel's friend Marcel says he's having a baby, too. Soon, Carolee and Sophie are having twins and triplets. By the end of the week, all of the students' shirts are bulging with dolls, puppies, dinosaurs, and even a truck. Samuel is a little worried about stinky diapers and broken toys, but demonstrating the proper diapering and cradling techniques to his classmates helps calm his nerves. Following a week of spring break, Samuel brings his new sister to class, rocking her to sleep as the other kids follow suit with their own bundles of joy. Elkin makes great use of humor and dialogue in the classroom. "'I'm not having a baby,' said Terri....'I'm having a puppy.'" Wummer's pencil and watercolor illustrations effectively utilize facial expressions to communicate voice and personality. A multiethnic group of children and an African-American teacher make this title perfect for today's diverse classrooms. By briefly mentioning common sibling worries and complaints within the narrative, Elkin opens the door to discussing these topics without losing the humorous atmosphere. Soon-to-be older siblings will giggle at "baby" dump trucks, but will also find comfort in Samuel's eventual conclusion that his baby is "perfect."-Richelle Roth, Boone County Public Library, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"I'm having a baby!" Samuel announces to his kindergarten class, and in short order, everyone one else gets baby fever, too: the girls and boys stick anything they can grab under their shirts to simulate pregnancies of every stripe (all told, the class is expecting "fifteen babies, one beagle, one goldfish, two hamsters, one kitty-cat, one stegosaurs, and a dump truck"), and proper infant care becomes the topic du jour. Samuel turns out to be the most levelheaded: while he's anxious about the new arrival, he also embraces his role as a knowledgeable caregiver ("My mom says that rocking helps when babies cry"). Debuting author Elkin is a little heavy-handed in the reassurance department ("You're the best friend a baby could have," Samuel's best friend tells him). But together with Wummer (the Adventure Annie books), a solid cartoonist who contributes some fine visual jokes, he spools out the comedy just far enough to keep it funny and real. More importantly, the team beautifully conveys the classroom as a world unto itself, where kids have the freedom to bat around ideas and grow into new roles. Ages 3-6. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
After kindergartner Samuel announces that he's "having a baby!," his classmates imagine that they, too, are about to become parents (they put stuffed animals under their shirts, etc.). The simple text and soft-hued art rely on a "That's so cute!" reaction from a readership largely too young to supply it, but big-siblings-to-be may relate to Samuel's excitement and trepidation. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When Samuel announces during show-and-tell that he is going to have a baby, it incites a rash of "pregnancies" in Mr. Donald's kindergarten class. Both the girls and boys are expecting, some trying to outdo the rest with talk of twins, triplets and even a beagle. All week, Samuel teaches his classmates about caring for a babyhow to support babies' heads and how to diaper them (you can't hold your nose, because you need two hands). The concerns they bring up bother him a little, but his own worry is larger: Will his new brother or sister like him? Throughout, Samuel's friend Marcel provides loving support and reassurance. And after a week of vacation, Samuel has a new sister for show-and-tell. Wummer's pencil-and-watercolor illustrations charmingly portray the innocence and enthusiasm of her multicultural cast of kindergarteners, shirts not quite concealing doll arms, dinosaur tails and truck wheels. A just-right mix of sweetness and humor that is sure to strike a chord with young children expecting a baby of their own. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
