The Blurb On The Back:

Ruby is used to being the centre of attention, until a baby brother comes along!

At first, she can’t wait to make friends with the new arrival – but Raj isn’t old enough to play yet.  And Ruby isn’t sure she likes having to share her mum and dad with a little brother.  Then, the incident with the bear happens …

This book is perfect for little ones who are about to get a new sibling.  

BIG SISTER – RUBY AND THE NEW BABY was released in the United Kingdom on 6th January 2022.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

You can order BIG SISTER – RUBY AND THE NEW BABY by Fiona Munro from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

The Review (Cut For Spoilers):

At first, Ruby is very excited when her baby brother Raj arrives but all he does is sleep all the time and neither her parents nor her grandma want to play with her because they’re so busy with Raj.  So she goes to play with Blue Bear, only to find that Raj has taken him too!  It’s all very upsetting …

Fiona Munro’s picture board book (with illustrations by Darshika Varma) is perfect for young readers who are finding it difficult to deal with a new baby sibling and gives useful tips for parents who want to help them with that adjustment.  Varma’s illustrations deserve special mention for the inclusivity, including Ruby’s wheelchair using mum but Munro also gets Ruby’s emotions spot on and I really felt for her when Ravi snaffled Blue Bear. 

There’s a surprising amount packed into what’s a pretty short board book.  Munro does a great job of showing Ruby’s feelings of isolation as Ravi takes over her parents and grandparents’ lives and how frustrated she is that Ravi is too little to play with.  Varma does a great job of supporting here with her illustrations emphasising Ruby’s feelings of isolation.  I want to give a shout out as well to the fact that she shows Ruby’s mum as a wheelchair user, which I thought was a great way of being inclusive.

I like how Munro shows ways in which Ruby can help her parents with Ravi while he’s so little so that she feels included, which should give parents some ideas for how to handle the situation and particularly good is the message that Ravi will get bigger and be able to play more and that he does love Ruby.

I also want to make the point that this is a very good quality book.  The cardboard is chunky and solid, perfect for little fingers to turn but also durable to the way young readers like to interact with books.  It should last for a good period of time.

All in all, I think this is a cracking book that’s perfect for parents and young readers who have recently welcomed a new addition.  Definitely worth taking a look if you are in this situation.