Books for new big brothers and sisters, by age

The best books for a new big brother or sister show what a newborn is really like and remind the older child that they still matter. For toddlers, start with Hello in There! or Babies Don’t Eat Pizza. For ages 4 to 8, How to Be a Baby . . . by Me, the Big Sister and Pecan Pie Baby are honest and funny about the mixed feelings. Every book below was checked on its publisher’s page in November 2026, and the ages are the publisher’s.

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and UNICEF suggest reading books about new babies together before the birth. For the rest of getting ready, see how to prepare a toddler for a new baby.

Books for toddlers and preschoolers

Hello in There! A Big Sister’s Book of Waiting by Jo Witek, illustrated by Christine Roussey (Abrams Appleseed). Ages 1 to 3.
A girl who can’t wait to be a big sister sings to the baby and tells it about the treats and swimming waiting outside. Flaps show the baby tucked inside Mom’s belly, so a toddler has something to lift while you talk about where the baby is now.

Babies Don’t Eat Pizza: A Big Kids’ Book About Baby Brothers and Baby Sisters by Dianne Danzig, illustrated by Debbie Tilley (Dutton). Ages 3 to 5.
Candid, funny and full of real information about new babies, to help a young child understand what’s coming. The publisher suggests reading it a little at a time, which suits a preschooler’s questions.

Books for ages 3 to 7

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats (Viking). Ages 3 to 7. Also in a board book.
Peter’s parents paint his old baby furniture pink for his new sister, all but his little blue chair, and he’ll do almost anything to keep it. A gentle classic for a child who isn’t ready to hand things down.

The New Baby by Mercer Mayer (Random House, a Little Critter book). Ages 3 to 7.
Little Critter has a new baby sister, and he helps: rocking her to sleep, changing diapers, pushing the stroller. Good for showing a toddler the jobs they can do too.

The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby by Stan and Jan Berenstain (Random House). Ages 3 to 7.
Brother Bear’s family welcomes a new sister and gets used to life with a baby. Children who already know the bears take to it easily.

Poor Louie by Tony Fucile (Candlewick). Ages 3 to 7.
Louie the dog loves his walks and his cuddles, until Mom’s belly grows and new things start arriving in pairs. Seeing the worry through a dog’s eyes lets a child laugh at it.

Books for ages 4 to 8

How to Be a Baby . . . by Me, the Big Sister by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Sue Heap (Dragonfly). Ages 4 to 8.
A know-it-all big sister explains babies: they eat books instead of reading them, and they don’t even know how old they are. She also promises that the baby will grow up and one day share memories with her.

You Were the First by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin (Little, Brown). Ages 4 to 8.
A celebration of a first child’s firsts, from the first smile to the first kiss. It speaks gently to the worry an older child may have that a new baby will take their place.

Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Nancy Paulsen Books). Ages 5 to 8.
Gia is tired of hearing about the “ding-dang baby” and worries about losing her cozy life with Mama. It gives an older child permission to feel that way out loud.

The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall (Nancy Paulsen Books). Ages 5 to 8.
A boy asks everyone from his babysitter to the mailman where babies come from, and gets some funny answers before his parents explain. It covers the basics in an age-appropriate way, with notes for grown-ups at the back. Read it yourself first.

Big brother books

A big brother is at the center of Peter’s Chair, The New Baby and The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby. Babies Don’t Eat Pizza, Poor Louie and You Were the First work for any older child.

Big sister books

A big sister is at the center of Hello in There!, How to Be a Baby . . . by Me, the Big Sister and Pecan Pie Baby.

How do you read them together?

• Read them more than once, before the baby comes and again after. A book that seemed like a story at first can feel very different once there’s a real baby crying in the next room.
• Point to the baby in the pictures and ask what it might need. Babies can’t say, so they show it, and even a toddler can start looking for the clues.
• Let the grumpy feelings in. If your child agrees with Gia that the baby is a “ding-dang baby”, say “It’s a big change, isn’t it?” and leave it there.

My own book

A Light for Tavi by Jonathan Seal. Ages 2 to 8.
This one is mine: Book One of The Adventures of Niko and Lira. Niko and Lira are in charge of their baby brother Tavi for the evening, and when he won’t stop crying, they stop guessing and start watching. It’s for a big brother or sister about to find out that babies can’t tell you what’s wrong. Its questions and activities include ideas for new big siblings.