The best books about becoming a big brother or big sister

A baby is on the way. For parents this is often a very special time, but for a child it can be hard to understand everything that is about to happen.

A read-aloud book can help make the arrival of a little brother or sister more concrete. Reading a story together often sparks a conversation all by itself. What does a big brother actually do? How small is a baby? And what will you be able to do together later on?

That is why we have gathered a few lovely books that can help prepare your child for the arrival of a baby.

A personalized book in which your own child becomes the big brother or big sister

At BoekjesAtelier you create a book in which your own child becomes the big brother or big sister. With their own name and a character that really looks like them, illustrated with AI from a photo. Your child can be alone in the story, or with mum, dad, a sibling or a pet as sidekick.

Below are two examples. How it works, what it costs and what other parents ask is on the big brother or sister book page.

Counting down together with mum

In this book Julia discovers that a baby will soon be joining the family. She can hardly wait. In the meantime she practises playing very quietly and says sweet things to mum’s belly.

When the baby finally arrives, Julia has brought a surprise: a teddy bear especially for her new little brother or sister. By the end of the story she is sure of one thing: she is going to be a wonderful big sister.

The story is built around small, recognizable moments: looking forward to the baby, practising in advance and discovering what it means to become a big sister. That is what makes it so much fun and so relatable for young children.

Read: Becoming a big brother or sister

A book for two big brothers

In this book Liam and his little brother Eli hear that a baby sister is on the way. They can hardly wait. Liam especially has big plans: he wants to teach her to play football one day.

The brothers soon discover that, at first, a baby is far too small to kick a ball. Luckily they come up with something else. They make their sister the team mascot and give her a soft plush football as a present.

The story is about looking forward to the baby, making plans and discovering that you can be a loving big brother in small ways too. Those recognizable moments are what make it so much fun for young children.

Read: Personalized book with two characters

Want to create a personalized book yourself?

Create your own book hereYou see a free preview first.

Other lovely read-aloud books about becoming a big brother or sister

Alongside a personalized book there are good picture books about becoming a big brother or sister. Which one fits depends on your child: do they mainly want to know what is happening in mum’s belly, or practise their new role at home? These are the five we like best, with the age each one suits.

Want to read first how to prepare your child, books aside? Six practical tips are in Preparing your child for a new brother or sister: 6 practical tips.

Karel en mama’s buik (Liesbet Slegers)

Many toddlers already know Karel: thick lines, bright colours and one thing per page. In this book, “Karel and mum’s belly”, mum’s belly grows and you see step by step what changes at home before the baby arrives. Short sentences, nothing complicated. For children from about 2 years.

Good if: your child feels calmer with simple, concrete explanations, or already knows Karel from the other books.

Bobbi wordt grote broer (Ingeborg Bijlsma and Monica Maas)

Bobbi is the little bear from daycare and from a great many bookshelves. Ingeborg Bijlsma writes the text, Monica Maas draws. This one, “Bobbi becomes a big brother”, is short and rhyming. The rhythm and repetition mean you know it by heart within a week, and so does your child. For children from about 2 years.

Good if: your child already knows Bobbi or loves rhyming stories that have to be read again and again.

Anna wordt grote zus (Kathleen Amant)

“Anna becomes a big sister”: Anna gets ready for the baby on the way, in ordinary family moments at home. No big adventure, just the things a toddler sees happening too, and the feelings that come with them. For children from about 2 years.

Good if: your child likes recognising themselves in everyday situations and calm, clear pictures.

Kleine pluis (Dick Bruna)

Known in English as Miffy and the New Baby. Dick Bruna tells in a few sentences per page that a new baby arrives at Miffy’s house. Calm, without fuss, in the familiar colours. For the very youngest who are not ready for a longer story, from about 2 years.

Good if: your child is still very small and you mostly want to look and name things together.

What’s in your tummy, Mummy? (Sam Lloyd)

The Dutch edition of What’s in your tummy, Mummy?, a picture book with movable parts in which mum shows her little boy what is growing in her belly. Simple text, partly rhyming, and just right for children who mainly have questions about the belly and not yet about the baby afterwards. For children from about 2.5 years.

Good if: your child wants to know more about the pregnancy than about being a big brother or sister.

Which book do you choose?

There is really no right or wrong. Choose the book that matches the question your child seems to be carrying right now.

• Lots of questions about pregnancy? Choose a book about mum’s belly.
• Need for predictability? Choose a short, clear story with familiar daily situations.
• Proud of the new role? A book in which your own child becomes the big brother or big sister often lands especially well.
• Will more than one child become a big sibling? Choose a story where the bond between the children is part of the story too.

What we often notice at BoekjesAtelier is that the smallest details open the conversation. A child points at the belly in the illustration, asks whether the baby will cry, or suddenly thinks of a way they could help. Reading aloud then becomes a calm moment to get used to what is coming, together.

On top of that, it later becomes a lovely keepsake of the period in which your child became a big brother or big sister.