It's Hard to Be a Baby

It's not easy being a baby. You can't feed yourself or change your own clothes, and when the dog runs by and licks your head, there's nothing you can do about it. Your big sister might decide you'd make a lovely doll, and somebody else always gets to say when it's time for a bath. Some days, all of it together is just a little too much.

It's Hard to Be a Baby is a funny, loving look at those everyday moments from a baby's point of view, and at the family who gathers around to help. When the big feelings come, and a little face turns red and a little voice gets loud, it's the mamas and daddies, aunties and uncles, and grandmas and grandpas who hold her close, rock and sing, and let her know that everything is going to be okay.

Written by licensed professional counselor Dr. Jake Porter, the story gives young children words and pictures for feelings they can't yet name, and it gives the grown-ups reading it a quiet reminder of how much their comfort matters. The book closes with a warm note for parents and caregivers that explains, in plain and gentle language, how babies learn to calm down by borrowing calm from the people who love them, long before they can calm themselves. It also offers a few simple ways to steady yourself when the crying gets loud and the sleep has been short, because grown-ups get overwhelmed too.

With soft, cozy illustrations and a story made for reading aloud, It's Hard to Be a Baby is a sweet gift for new and expecting parents, a comforting bedtime book for babies and toddlers, and a lovely way to help big brothers and sisters get ready to welcome someone small into the family.