Baby, I'm Bigger!

By Harriet M. Ziefert
Illustrated by Kae Nishimura
Level 2, I'm Going to Read! Series
Sterling Publishing, 2007
Ages 5-7
3.5/5

Max's little sister can't wait in line or build with blocks or draw pictures. She can't do anything! Max can't wait for Baby to start talking and for her to be big enough to play with him.

This is a cute story with cheerful illustrations. The character of Max expresses frustrations that will be familiar for many older siblings, and the "Word Bank" at the top of each page helps new readers review all the words they have just learned. However, overall the book seems much more focussed on reassuring parents that their children will learn to read and offering suggestions for ways they can help their children learn to read faster. There are several pages of advice for parents at the beginning of the book, as well as detailed explanations of each level in the I'm Going to Read! series. These do not detract from the charm of the story, but in my opinion parents should be careful not to make reading too much like work: Learning is important, but so is introducing children to the joys of reading for pleasure.