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15 Things Not to Do with a Baby ISBN: 9781847805065
McAllister, Margaret and Sterling, Holly
Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Bks, 2015
In this delightful, imaginative story, the older sibling is congratulated on the new baby in her mixed race family, but is also given some 'rules' to follow. First of all are the 'don'ts'. Among these are wonderfully wacky ideas such as 'Don't send him to play with an elephant' or 'Don't leave the baby in a chocolate shop'. But interspersed with the less likely ideas are a few that an older youngster may well consider doing, such as 'Don't play your trumpet when the baby's trying to sleep' or 'Don't swap him for the school guinea pig'! The 'dos' that follow are more positive. Give the baby kisses and songs, and play and read to him - most of all, give him love. This scheme of things admits to the reader that while an older sibling may well feel like posting his baby or giving him to an octopus to cuddle, such things are not on, and it's the positives that win every time. The pictures are brilliant, full of charm and wit, happiness and fun, and any child enjoying both illustration and text will find the perfect way to discover the ins and outs of having a new baby in the family. A suggestion is made to parents that as the baby pictured could be either boy or girl, the parent could substitute 'her' for 'him' in the text when reading- a great idea.
Age: 3+