The New Baby

Little Critter

by Mercer Mayer

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter has a brand-new baby sister in this classic, funny, and heartwarming book.

Whether Little Critter is rocking her to sleep, helping change diapers, or pushing the stroller, both parents and children alike will relate to this heart-warming story. A perfect way to help a soon-to-be older sibling welcome a younger one!

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all the major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites of parents and children alike.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Kids, School, Animals

24 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1983

About the author

Mercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.

Reviews

[Ty O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book because we got a new baby!!
I liked this book so much because the baby looked cute.
My favourite part of this story is when the baby ignores Little Critter while he is trying to read to her because she is cute while she is eating and sleeping. My least favourite part was when the baby was being mean to Little Critter when he was trying to dress her and she was wiggly and floppy.
My favourite character is the baby because she is SO cute. There aren't any mean people in this book so I didn't have a least favourite.
I think people should read this book because its funny and its a nice book because at the end the baby is nice to critter.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

YouTube Audiobook version - https://youtu.be/anfDyqZdJj4


4.5 stars


Ok ok so my nostalgia is high for this one. I loved it as a kid and must have read it a thousand times. I loved hearing the story and seeing the pictures I so loved as a child. Feeling how I felt back then and my favourite parts. Overall it is still a great story and one that can be relatable to families with a new baby.

I love the ending where you can see on Little Critters face that he's a proud big brother 😊

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

No new baby here—just got this from someone else!—but I think this does a good job of explaining how an older baby could connect with their new sibling!

[WillowRaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my oldest child when I was pregnant with my daughter (my 2nd child). It does a wonderful job of helping the "older sibling" prepare for the upcoming arrival of their new brother or sister.

[Leigh Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Baby is a story about the oldest child welcoming a new baby into the family. It talks about how the oldest child struggles to know what to do with the baby. Then the mom shows the child all of the great things you can do with a baby.

I liked this book because I thought it did a good job of showing the emotions of having a new child join the family through the eyes of a sibling. It showed excitement, confusion, happiness and many more emotions that happen during change.

I think this would be a good book to read to a class of children where the majority are getting new siblings. This will help explain babies and help them adjust at home as well.

[Lauren Edgar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I choose this book out of all the preparing for a new baby books because it is with a character that is already familiar to so many children. The well loved little critter gets a new baby sister. My favorite thing about this book is it isn't perfect from the start. Little critter tried reading to the new baby she doesn't listen, he tries making funny faces and she cries, he doesn't know what to do with the new baby and is having trouble dealing with it. But finally he finds what he can do with a baby and learns how to be a big brother! I don't have children of my own but I have watched families for years who have gone through this multiple times, they actually have this book and from what I viewed it was a great contribution to the situation. It is a hard change for a child especially if they are use to being the only one and I think it is important that this book shows that it can be hard, and you can cry, but also shows what great and fun things you can do when the baby comes and how cool it will be to be a big brother or sister.

[Guadalupe Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

30. The new baby by Mayer Mercer
Genre: fiction, children’s literature Reading level:age 3 and up Format: good


The new baby is a book about the little critter that is super excited for the new baby at his home. So he tries doing things with his baby sister that makes him upset and sad because his baby sister doesn’t laugh at his funny jokes or pays attention at his stories. He then asks his mother what he can do to make his baby sister happy. His mother tells him to play with her rattle or rock her in her crib so she can fall asleep. The little critter then notices his baby sister is special. The picture illustrations are cute and enjoyable because the characters are different to other books. As I was reading the story I was smiling because it was nice seeing the picture illustrations relating to the text in the book. Since I was able to visualize how the little critter felt throughout the whole story. This book can be used in the classroom to teach students how delicate babies are.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little boy who is getting a new sister. He at first tries to do things like play with toys, read her comic books and tries to play games and gets frustrated that she doesn’t do anything back with him. He slowly learns that you cuddle, hold and love little babies and by the end of the book he loves taking her on walks to show her off to all of his friends. Bringing home a new baby is tough for little children and this book shows the true struggles that older siblings would experience. It allows children to see that what they are feeling is normal and that a baby is not like a normal young child.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this while I was shopping. I was pulled in because I like the series and have read many to my children, my grandchildren and for myself. The topic of welcoming and coping with a newborn is handled with care, love and tenderness. I recommend this for any parent with multiple children. Well done.

[Jaden Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's about welcoming a new baby into the family and adjusting to the new life that was brought it, this can be good for students to know.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Critter series has always been a classic in my household growing up. I especially enjoyed this one as a kid and reading it again as an adult has brought some nostalgia, but most importantly, I am able to interpret it in a deeper sense. The story starts out by the Little Critters parent announcing they are having a baby. This was always a fun announcement in my house, having had four little brothers. Next, it shows several ways in which the Little Critter attempts to entertain the baby, none of which work. Finally, the protagonist develops an understanding of how to handle a baby by the assistance of his mom. The book mentioned several ways to do this like allow the baby to squeeze your finger or cradle the baby. It captures the amazing way that any human, not just the mother can develop the caregiver instincts or baby-language that's required to care for a newborn child. Developing that natural instinct is beautiful and how you interact with a baby once you know your's is permanent and that skill will last forever, even if it's years before you encounter another one. Also, that motherly/fatherly instinct can be used with any child as developing humans all start out so similar. Overall, I see this book as a way of showing the transition from not being able to fully embrace/recognize that fatherly/motherly instinct to being able to embrace it fully and realize how special that is.

[Yvee Martir · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, the main character is a little boy who has a new baby sister. He is excited about the idea of having a baby sister. He removes a few of his toys to play with her. He is unaware of how gentle and emotional babies could be. He becomes a bit frustrated when she cries at his silly faces or tells her a joke. He is unsure of how to connect with his new baby sister. His mother then teaches him ways in which he can bond with her. This includes rocking her to sleep or tickling her tummy. The little boy begins to get excited about his baby sister again. He takes her out for a walk and shows her to his friends. He feels proud when they tell him how lucky he is to have a baby sister.

This story is very relatable to young children. The idea of a new baby in the family may be exciting or scary. Children are unaware of how gentle and quiet they must be when a new baby arrives. They may also become upset or jealous when they realize they are not getting as much attention as they used to because their parents now have to tend to the baby. In literature, the use of silly characters such as animals adds a fun way for children to understand concepts. The use of animals personified in this story helps children feel entertained by the story

[Gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adding a new baby to the family can be very difficult, especially for children who were previously the only child. Mercer Mayer's The New Baby can help children feel more comfortable about their family's newest addition. Although the main character is sad because his new baby sister can't do the things he planned like playing dress-up or telling jokes, he discovers all the things he can do like tickling her tummy or taking her for a walk. While a great book for parents to read to children who are soon to be big brothers or big sisters, it can also be a great addition to classrooms as many of your students will be able to relate to the main character in the book and help to ease their nervousness. Children can also use this book to relate back to their past experiences of how they felt when their parents first brought home a new baby and how those feelings have changed as they got older, a good story sharing opportunity for any classroom.

[Angel Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts with Little Critter being told by his dad that the new baby is coming home today. Little Critter is excited for the new baby and expresses so by showing the baby all their favorite toys, games, and books. However, to their dismay the baby shows no interest in these things and pays no attention to mc. Little Critter wondered "So what can you do with a new baby?" He then begins to understand what you can do with a baby with their mother's help. He realizes he can cuddle, rock the baby to sleep, and tickle her to make her laugh. In the end, Little Critter takes the baby for a walk to show their friends and they thought he was so lucky. Mercer illustrations were very cute and fun. Teachers can teach children about jealousy and how exciting it can be to help mommy when the new baby comes. This story can be relatable to little brothers as well.

[Phylicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Little Critter book follows Little Critter on a new adventure; being a big brother! He is so excited to meet his baby sister and to play and spend time with her. He imagines all of the things they'll do together until he realizes, she's just a baby. I think this is a pretty accurate portrayal of the excitement of becoming a big brother or sister. You'll have a new friend who lives in your house that you can play with all of the time!...but not quite. Babies are babies, and there is not that much you can do with a baby. But, being an older sibling is still a lot of responsibility and something that young children can be proud of. Even though they can't play with you yet, Little Critter can help teach young children than being a big brother or sister can be awesome!

[Janique Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

We follow the journey of a little boy and his new baby sibling. His father sat him on his lap and told him the baby would be coming home today. When the baby and mom arrived home, he took out all his toys to show the baby his favorite games. He read his favorite picture book to the baby as well while the mom put the baby in its bed. He realized that the baby didn't pay any attention to him at all. The baby cried when he told his best joke. She kept crying when he made his funniest face. He asked "What can you do with a new baby?". His mom proceeds to tell him that you can hold her, rock her and make her laugh. This book is great for kids who have a sibling on the way so they can understand what they can do with the baby.

[Hannah Falgout · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The New Baby" by Mercer Mayer.
I loved this book as a child. My sister had it before I was born, and I always loved reading this book with my parents after I was born. The book is about an older sibling welcoming a new and younger sibling. It teaches the older siblings what it will be like and what they can do with their little siblings. It is so cute and great for kids just beginning a new adventure with a young baby. This author writes many books for kids about life, and it is wonderful that kids can relate to these stories through the family characters. The pictures look like they are older style, maybe nineties or eighties, the way the animal family is dressed. It is super cute.
The book is fiction and is used for younger kids.

[Kaylee Mouser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy who gets a new baby sister. He tries to play with her but she cries, he tries to change her but she moves too much. SHe even smells a little, he says. He doesn't know what to do with a new baby. His mom says he can cuddle her and make her laugh. This book would be good for younger students who are going to have a sister and brother because this book shows the correct way to interact with a baby. The pictures in this book are bold because the background is just completely whitee, with the characters being the main attraction on the page. The lines are soft and the pictures have a little bit of texture.

[Madison Dragonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Critter gets a sibling! This was a very important book for me, as I could relate to it, because I got the wonderful blessing of receiving a younger sister. This book helped hit on situations that I was going through with my sibling as well. The story talks about how great it is to be an older sibling, and then it talks about some of the struggles of being an older sibling.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book about being an older sibling. Critter goes through struggles with how to interact with the baby but with time, he figured it out. I saw this on an NPR reading list about boundaries, understanding consent and saying no. I can see this being taught, and problem-solving with conflict in the household.

[Jamie Macaluso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book would be really good for a kid that is expecting a baby brother or sister. The illustrations really add to the story and there is a hidden lesson about how lucky the critter is now that he got a new baby sister. I think that the text could have been a little more interesting and could have told the story better as far as wording.

[Haleemeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Critter's mom is teaching Little Critter how to care for his new baby sister. Little Critter is scared and nervous, but with the help of his mom everything runs smoothly. I loved this book and what great way to accept a new baby in the family with an open mind to learn. I absolutely loved the illustrations and the story.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book a 9 out of 10 . It covered the normal expectations any kid would have and the reality of what having a new baby is like and then gave great things that you can do. Little Critters are still some of my favorite kids books and this is a good example as to why. Well Done , This is a Good Read.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet and cute book! I grew up having these books read to me and now I read them to my 3 year old niece who really likes them.
This is a cute yet short read for any big brother or big sister to be!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Little Critter book that explores the change and adjustments that come when a new sibling is added to the family. This is much like the Berenstain Bears and Arthur books that deal with the same subject.

[Emily Kinsman · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/2
Fiction
Pre K-2nd
The Little Critter classic series is great! This book alone is such a cute one, with classic illustrations that bring back great childhood memories. I can't wait to read it to my kids!

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4 year old loves these Little Critter Books, as did I when I was young (and as I do still!) This one does a good job of introducing the highs and lows of a new baby in kid-appropriate ways that show it can be annoying and fun at the same time.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Critter was happy to have a new baby sister, but there were so many things the baby couldn't do yet. Little Critter learned what he could do to help with Baby, especially for his friends to see. Sweet story and illustrations.

[Emily Knickerbocker]

This book is about a new baby coming into the family and how you can't do much, but with a little help, you can do plenty of fun things with a new baby. I would have my students write some of the challenges and how it is nice to have siblings.

[Reid Guest · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

If you like the Mercer Meyer books this is a fun addition to the series.

We used this book to discuss a new addition to our family and talk about all the things we can and cannot do with our new baby.