I really want to like this book. I really do. Momma squirrel just had a new baby and big sister squirrel is feeling left out. All the neighbors and her friends are coming to see the new baby and she is afraid no one will think she is pretty or sweet anymore. It’s the “pretty and sweet” that turns me off. This is too focused on how someone looks. Is the baby prettier than me? This is a refrain over and over and over again. So is that they are both pretty and sweet and I just get tired of it. The concepts in this book are true feelings, but it could have been delivered in a way that focused on the person/squirrel and not on how they look.

This is a perfect story to read to children whose families are expecting a new child. Squirrel is worried that the new sibling will be the cutest and sweetest and take all the love and friendship. When her baby sister arrives all the visitors come and bring presents and Squirrel feels forgotten. Her friend bear reassures her, gives her a present (a picture he drew) and draws her into the celebrations. This is such a realistic story. I remember when my granddaughter was born, that we remembered to bring little gifts for my grandson so he didn't feel left out. We told him what a great big brother he would be etc. These are all important things for us to remember. The illustrations are well done. The illustrator did a great job showing emotion on the characters faces. When I read this with my granddaughter, she agreed that squirrel was sad and told us she was happy and sad when her brother was a baby. She said she loves him now because he can play with her. This would make a great gift for a child before their new sibling was born.

Squirrel Is Going to Be a Big Sister by Sam Loman tells a story about having a new addition to the family and the excitement as well as worries that comes with being an older sibling. The story delves into the situation in a way to help children who may relate to the situation of having a younger sibling being born. It addresses the feelings that arise with a new sibling. In addition, the story is told in a nice and fun way; the illustrations are adorable and so much fun to read!

Squirrel is Going to Be a Big Sister by Sam Loman

I read an arc of this book from NetGalley. I have 4 and 7 year old boys and nieces and a nephew aging 6 months, 4, 5 and 6. I have read many many new big sibling style books. I chose not to read this one with my 4 year old because our family is complete and I’d rather he not get any ideas.

The illustrations and color palate were engaging. The length of the book was appropriate for the the intended age bracket. When I was expecting my second I bought literally every big sibling book I could find so I have no doubt this will do well.

However I’m not certain if I feel this way because I’m a boy mom but I felt that the emphasis on who’s pretty and prettiest was excessive and the emphasis on the word sweet did not help because it’s such a vague phrase. Sweet in children can be interpreted as kind or just placid or as another physical descriptor.

As a parent to more than one child of course addressing any potential feelings of displacement are important and were a good choice. In our home we’ve always tried to emphasize the oldest child’s roll in teaching the baby what they know and helping. It helps them feel big and special. Helping was shown, though the time spent on helping vs time spent on crying could have been more evenly balanced. I would also rather have seen an explanation of who the comforters were. If the child is not comforted by a parent it would be nice to know who they are comforted by like a teacher or someone else the child reading the story can relate to as a role model.

3/5 would not buy for a friend. Has a lot of potential just not quite there.

Love this sweet little story! I read it to my 3 year old girl who is recently a big sister herself. It acknowledges the big feelings that commonly arise when a new baby is brought home and getting an overwhelming amount of attention. The story was very accurate and the illustrations are absolutely adorable. This is definitely one I would purchase for any parent expecting a second baby!

I'm an only child, so I've never experienced the feelings Squirrel has, but I imagine this would be relatable to all children who find themselves becoming older siblings. It's a sweet story that shows them everything turns out all right in the end

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

~ Thanks to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

"Squirrel is Going to be a Big Sister" is a nice picture book that is designed to prepare children for the arrival of a new sibling and the jealousy that may come with it. Some other reviewers have objected to the book addressing sibling rivalry, and condemning Squirrel's parents for her attitude, but the thing is chilren ARE often possessive of their parents, and while some children only experience excitement, there's a large chunk who aren't able to process the situation logically. So zero complaints there from me. I also think the topic was handled pretty well considering the audience demographic. The drawings were especially sweet, and I think that a young child would have a lot of fun looking at these illustrations.
The main issue I have with this book is how Squirrel only worries about how "pretty and sweet" she is compared to her new sister. I'm not entirely against using some gendered language, but I feel like Squirrel could have been worried about competing with Baby Squirrel in other areas too. By choosing to stick to these two themes, sure you've got consistency, but you're also oversimplifying what a child might worry about in a situation like this. I also feel like it would alienate some boy readers (although I'm a big believer in calling boys pretty too), which is a shame, because being a new sibling has the same challenges regardless of a child's gender. ​


Summary
Recommended age range: 3-6
Pros: handles sibling jealousy well; great drawings with super adorable characters
Cons: stereotypically gendered language

Becoming an older sibling is an emotional journey for every child. There are constantly feelings from a parent that wants to make sure that the child feels just as loved. This book is a perfect way to have that conversation with your big sibling to be! It is an adorable book and has such an easy way of having this conversation! I highly recommend!

This was a cute book about how sometimes a new sibling can get a lot of attention, but the older sibling is still loved. The illustrations were very cute and colorful. I think that the parents in the story could have focused on the older sister more, but the message came across. This would be a sweet book for a big sister expecting a little sister. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet little tale of acceptance of changes in the family dynamics. The simple yet effective way of conveying the message is amazing! It's accompanied with beautiful illustrations making it even more enjoyable.
A fun book for young kids and all the Big brothers and sisters.

This adorable book is perfect for soon to be big sisters and brothers. The illustrations and story will be a great conversation starter before the new baby comes home. Share this picture book with the grandparents too!

A good story for families expecting another kid on how to welcome the newborn in their lives, specially for the older kids who has been receiving all the love and attention.

The storybook shows the feelings of uncertainty from the view point of the only child.

The dialogues are heartwarming. They highlight the right or better words to say in such a scenario.

Well done and well illustrated.

Thank you authors and the publisher for the advance reading copy.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Squirrel is going to be a big sister but she is very worried about how this will affect her. It's the same new baby story just with animals.

Great story for kids to learn about how they are still loved when there is a new sibling. The illustrations were great

This book is about a little squirrel who just became the older sister of another squirrel. It is difficult for her to accept the arrival of a baby, because she believes that her family and friends will stop loving her for her new sister.

The art is very beautiful, the colors are quite calming and the book is very cute.

I think it could help a lot to parents who have young children and are going to have a new member in their family; It is very important to remember that the older children have to feel included in the arrival of their new siblings, so that they do not suffer and there is a good coexistence between siblings.

I am an older sister and I remember that when my baby squirrel arrived, I was very sad; maybe this book will help some little squirrel love their baby squirrel

Sometimes kids find it hard to understand and cope with the arrival of a new sibling. This book illustrates how important it is to acknowledge those feelings and helps the new big siblings to understand they will never be replaced. The story and the illustrations are very sweet.

I can’t wait until my grand-niece becomes a big sister, and I can gift her a copy of this heart-warming tale. Great for parents, primary grade teachers, and therapists.

What a lovely book. This was so heart warming reading. The author clearly explained mixed feelings when a new baby is born and shown that your still important.

This is a book for those who are to become Big Sister soon. The excitement of having a new sibling usually dampened by the realization that people pay more attention to the new baby. And big sister would feel left behind.

A sweet story that encourages big sisters to stay positive and enjoy her new role.

A new sibling can bring up all sorts of big emotions and this book tries to address some of those feelings when the attention is focused on the baby. Unfortunately it’s largely based on the idea of being pretty or sweet and doesn’t include much discussion between child and parent. It’s nice that squirrel is able to help with the baby towards the end. Illustrations are nice.