Dear Baby: Letters from Your Big Brother

by Sarah Sullivan, Paul Meisel (Illustrator)

A young boy records the ups and downs of life as a new big brother in a scrapbook of funny, earnest letters and other touching memorabilia.

There's a baby on the way! Of course, Mike is very excited and curious about his new sibling. And he's very eager to assume his new role as a big brother. To start, he's decided to record his observations and experiences in a series of letters to the baby, displayed here along with playful illustrations of Mike's own drawings, family "snapshots," and even a sonogram. Whether Mike is feeling like an "invisible boy" or boasting of his new sister's talents, whether furious when she breaks his favorite toy or proud to save her from a hot curling iron, his account of his first year of life as an older brother evolves into a very special keepsake — and a funny, honest, and heartfelt tribute to sibling relationships.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 9, 2005

About the author

Author of ALL THAT'S MISSING, which received a starred review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and 4 picture books, including PASSING THE MUSIC DOWN which was an NCTE Notable Book in the Language Arts. Her second book, DEAR BABY: LETTERS FROM YOUR BIG BROTHER was an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold award winner. Her fifth picture book, A DAY FOR SKATING, illustrated by Madeline Valentine, was published by Candlewick in 2019. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College where she won the Harcourt Post-Graduate Scholarship. She also received an Individual Artist Grant/Fellowship from the West Virginia Arts Commission and lives with her husband in Williamsburg, VA. Loves theater -especially Sondheim musicals -, visiting bookstores and walking on the beach. For more info visit her website at www.sarahsullivanbooks.com

Reviews

[Ollie Skyba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I wish we had found this book a few years earlier - when we were expecting our second baby. It’s such a sweet and thoughtful idea: a big brother writing heartfelt letters to his new sibling. Gentle, funny, and full of love. A perfect gift for growing families.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike’s Mom is expecting a baby, soon. As a way to prepare for his new role as a big brother, his parents ask him to write a letter to the baby. Over the course of a year, Mike writes letters to his new little sister.

Readers get to see Mike grow from an anxious, expectant boy, to an annoyed brother, to a proud, big brother, who is ready to brag about his little sister to everyone. Written in a scrapbook style, parents and children will chuckle at the pictures depicting Mike’s adventures. Overall, this is a precious book to teach young boys that it is a wonderful thing to be a big brother.

Notes:
This review was written for Sasee Magazine and My Sister's Books.
This review was posted on the Ariesgrl Book Reviews website.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Format: 32 pages. Approximately 1500 words. POV: first person, past/present

Epistolary-style picture book structured like a scrapbook containing letters and drawings by the main character, Mike, for his younger sibling. Author deftly expresses the way a child experiences the birth of a sibling with every emotion from excitement to jealousy to frustration to pride. Mike's relationship with Erica is an evolving thing made clearer by Mike comparing his experiences having a little sister with his best friend Rishi who also becomes a big brother.

[Kendra Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letters from Your Big Brother is a great book about a little boy writing letters to his baby sister throughout her life in the womb and as they are growing up. Through the letters, the reader is able to go through the stages a typical older sibling go through (happy, jealous, angry, etc).

This book is in scrapbook format by the big brother. This book includes real pictures of a sonogram and the illustrations are colorful and realistic.

This book would inspire a lesson about writing letters. The students can either write a letter about their siblings or they can make up a story.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, funny, realistic book about the love-hate feelings of a child toward the new baby in the house.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

very cute book in which each page is a letter an older brother writes to his newborn sister throughout her first year.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cute book! It could be used to show how to write letters and also for reading to a child with a sibling on the way.

[Jesse Crooker]

This is a very cute story about a boy who becomes a big brother to a little sister. He keeps letters/journal entries about events that happened both good and bad throughout the first year of having the new baby around. It does a great job of capturing moments both good and bad and expressing real emotions!