HealthyBooks will continue to be online and available to users, although not updated. Read more…
Evan Early ISBN: 9781890627713
Gannon, Ned and Wojahn, Rebecca Hogue
Published by Woodbine House, 2006
This one is about a very special new baby in the family. Evan Earl is premature, and so older sister Natalie calls him Evan Early. She can't wait for him to come home so she can teach him things, but dad says it's going to be a long time. Together they make a calendar so Natalie can colour in the days. When she finally gets to see Evan in the NICU, she thinks he looks like a 'raw chicken'. We get details about preemies, about how they are fed, about testing their diapers (this is an American book) and about the machines Evan is hooked up to. Then there are dark days when Evan is very poorly and needs surgery, and 'nobody talks about the day that he will come home'. Natalie has to stay with grandma, and everyone is quiet and sad. When mum gets home exhausted, Natalie is angry that she can't take an interest in her games and has a temper tantrum. Mum understands her feeling of neglect and tells Natalie that she is equally loved and equally special. We don't know the outcome of this story, but we do know that Natalie has learned to love her tiny brother. A beautiful and very necessary book. Available in the U.k. from Gazelle (email: sales@gazellebooks.co.uk, Tel: 01524 68765).
Age: 3+