This book has sweet, colorful illustrations, and it tells the story of an older sister's wait for her little brother to come home from the NICU. It's rare to see children's books about siblings in the hospital, and this book offers a unique perspective. Since NICU stays are so common, it's great to have a book that validates children's experiences of uncertainty and impatience as they wait for their baby sibling to come home.

The little girl in this story keeps trying to come up with creative solutions to bring her brother home faster, and she draws pictures of each idea. Her drawings appear in the illustrations, and are very cute and charming. However, my hesitation with this book is that it seems to support the main character's belief that she is partly responsible for helping her brother come home. Although this book offers a sweet, realistic portrayal of how young children think, I'm concerned that this could backfire in some cases.

I wish that this book had contradicted the girl's feelings of responsibility and made it clearer to young readers that she had nothing to do with the length of her brother's NICU stay. The book's portrayal is accurate to the girl's developmental stage, and it's certainly understandable that she would want to feel like she has some power over her circumstances. However, I'm concerned that in cases where a baby sibling never makes it out of the NICU, this book could make an older sibling worry that they could have done something to prevent this. Although I liked this book overall, I'm concerned that the uncorrected magical thinking could end up confusing young readers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

This is an amazing book. Louise is waiting for her baby brother, Max, to come home, but he ends up in the NICU. This book is all about her waiting for her brother to come home. It's so cute. I absolutely love it. ❤️

Definitely recommend this book.

An amazing book!!! Made me emotional too. Really well written and the illustrations were super amazing too!
Just one point, maybe the text placement could be better in some places.

The might be one of the cutest books I have ever read. The story follows a little girl as she waits to meet her baby brother while he's in the NICU. I was curious to read it after my family had our own NICU experience. This book pulled at my heartstrings in the best way possible. By focusing on the big sister's excitement for the baby to get home, it brings sweet feelings which can mean so much in a tough experience like a NICU stay. This book is so needed!

From my own experience as a NICU parent, there was such a tough pull between the baby in need and the big sibling at home. I love how this book highlights the positive feelings and desires of the big sibling at home and I feel like it would have been a great reminder during that NICU time. I truly adored this book and would purchase it for littles with a NICU sibling in a heartbeat. It reads like it would bring joy to kids and grown ups alike.

One of those truly perfect stories. Gentle, heartfelt, and beautifully illustrated. It completely warmed my heart.

As I read it, I imagined myself both as the mom and as the little kiddo waiting for their baby sibling to come home from the NICU. That child, full of big feelings, needs attention more than ever - and needs their parents to help explain what’s happening, to reassure them, so they can understand, and wait… and wait.

This book offers exactly that kind of support. It’s full of empathy and hope, and will be such a helpful tool for families going through this emotional time.

And from my heart: I hope every NICU baby gets to come home soon. 💛

Such a beautiful story! The fact that Louise’s parents brought her drawings to Max in the NICU, then hung them on his bedroom wall over his bassinet was especially touching.

This story was such a heartwarming read! 💛 It beautifully captures the magic of a child’s imagination while gently explaining the NICU in a way kids can truly understand.

You can absolutely tell this was written by someone who’s lived this experience—the emotion, the tenderness, the hope—it all shines through. The story follows sweet Louise as she waits for her baby brother, Max, to grow strong enough to come home. Through her drawings and dreams, we see how children process the unknown with love and creativity.

It’s a perfect book for siblings, parents, and families navigating the NICU journey—offering comfort, clarity, and so much heart. 💙👶🏽📚

A beautiful light hearted book for a difficult time in a family’s lives, Waiting For Max gives siblings a glimpse of what happens in the NICU.

The illustrations are beautiful and are a big part of the narrative. I got all the feels!

This story is absolutely adorable! The art was gorgeous and the words were heartwarming. This is a fantastic book for kids with siblings in the NICU or for kids eager to learn more about different ways babies can begin their lives.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

The story is tender and thoughtful. Louisa is curious, understanding, and DETERMINED! The book really captures that impatience of waiting and Louise tries to find something—anything!—that can help her baby brother come home.

I do not think I have ever seen a children’s book that brings a NICU situation down to a level where small children can understand and not fear it. I’m glad it exists because NICU situations can be hard to understand, and books always help children understand things better. The book explains is simple and comforting without being condescending.

The illustrations were so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love love LOOOOOVED that the baby’s room is later filled up with all her drawings. Shows that the parents did not just humor her but actually brought her brother the drawings and kept them for him.

This book has SO MUCH HOPE.

Book is recommended for children ages 4 to 7.

Waiting for Max will be published October 21, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, The Collective Book Studio, Emily Rosen (author), and Esther Diana (illustrator) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A heart tugging story of a sister waiting for her baby brother from the hospital. While she is waiting, what is she thinking and doing? It's all in this great book on NICU. I love how she draws her dreams of here and her baby brother's adventure as she waits for his homecoming. Then surprise, he's home. Go get this book if you can.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous!
The story is beautiful and I love that it focuses on the sibling. While hospitalized children and babies are going through so much, that tends to be the focus and then it shifts to the stress of the parents, but often times the affects on the siblings can be more easily overlooked. I love how it shows the sister making plans to help baby escape and come home. It’s really cute and really well done!
I have already sent this to a few friends and recommended it when it gets released. Thank you so much for sharing with me!

I was this because of how relatable it was. My first (and only) son, was also born 6 weeks early and had to spend a week in the NICU. While that is a much smaller number than most children in the NICU, it was so hard coming home without a baby. We went everyday, multiple times a day to cuddle, feed and enjoy our new bundle of joy. My husband and I talk about how much love and support we received from everyone in the NICU, and in all honesty, it was like they were guiding us to parenthood. There were gifts, advice and assistance in the best care we can give with a babes covered in cords (iykyk). While I wished that we could've taken him home after our stay, I was gratefully for all the love from the NICU staff.

While this sounds sad, it's not, we were able to bring him home after a weeks stay and it's been quite a rollercoaster since then.

This was a very cute book about a big sister waiting for her new little brother to come home from the NICU. It gave some very simple explanations about why he can't come home yet and the different things that he needed to do to come home. The illustrations were also SO cute

Overall Vibe/Feeling: emotional, hopeful, informative, inspiring, lighthearted, and fast-paced
Content Warning: Moderate = Medical content
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Star Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC!

I loved the art style of this book so much, and it’s very informative for big siblings of a baby born premature or high-risk. It’s lighthearted and gentle, not buying into the anxiety of the reality of the situation. It’s very sweet and wonderfully done. It has just enough information for the intended audience, to help parents or caregivers explain what can be a very scary and stressful times for families. The little details really made this book so charming and inspiring. My favorite part had to be the end where the drawings were showcased for the baby. I would definitely recommend this for any parent, but especially for those in this situation. Wishing the best to all those families past, present, and future, that they may bring home their baby healthy! 🥰

Waiting for Max


A little girl is eager to meet her new baby brother and finds it hard to wait for him to come home. He is in the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit, because he was born early and needs to gain weight and strength before coming home. She finds a way to make her waiting easier using her busy imagination.

This book fills a need. It is factual and comforting, and not hard for children to understand. It is a sweet way to discuss a difficult topic. The book would be a fine addition to a children’s collection in a public library or a school library.

I loved, loved, LOVED this sweet book - it is totally meeting a need for children in the unique position of being a NICU sibling! I will undoubtedly share this with my NICU nurse, child life specialist, and social worker friends. The illustrations were adorable and I loved Louise’s persistence in getting her brother home - she is already a great big sister:)

Louise has been waiting for months to be a big sister. But now her new baby brother isn't strong enough to come home from the hospital and she has to wait even longer to meet him. This sweet picture book helps explain the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to little children. In this story, the young child sees pictures and videos of her new brother in his incubator. As Louise asks questions, young readers learn a little more about their new sibling or relative who is in the NICU. I love the elutriations which not only show Louise, but include all the crayon pictures that she sends to her baby brother. This book is a must have for any family who has a youngster waiting to meet their new sibling.

ARC Review:

Waiting for Max: A NICU Story is the perfect book to help kids understand the importance of having a sibling in the NICU. It helps older siblings understand why they may have to wait for a sibling to come home.

This book not only has a great story, but it also contains vibrant and beautiful images that add so much imagery to the book!

This was such a sweet read. My NICU baby just turned 1 this year. He was born six weeks early; it was so hard to explain the concept to my five-year-old... This book would have been perfect. 5 out of 5 stars. My heart feels so warm and happy after finishing this book.