My friend, Gabe, opened the closet door intending to hang up dresses she had bought for her newborn granddaughter. One glance had her laughing out loud. The closet was already crammed with beautiful dresses and adorable outfits friends had gifted the baby. Gabe encouraged her daughter to rotate the clothes so they would get worn at least once before baby Della outgrew them.

A new baby prompts an avalanche of gifts. An older child often finds all the excitement over a newborn a bit hard to take. To help with that, I often surprise brothers and sisters with a small present. My illustrated children’s book, Me & THAT BABY! is an inexpensive way of reminding siblings and cousins that we know they are awesome.

When I visit preschools to read Me & THAT BABY! I start by telling the class “Babies are little lugs. They don’t actually do anything, but everybody gets excited when the baby smiles.” I confess, "I don’t get it ‘cause I’ve been smiling for years, and nobody gets excited.”

Five-year-olds respond, “Yep, babies are lugs. They don’t do nothin’.”

When I read the text, “If THAT BABY! is a gift, then wrap it in yellow tissue paper, put it in a purple, polka-dotted bag, and give THAT BABY! away!” five-year-olds gasp in horror. Two and three-year-olds think, “Wait! That’s an option?”

A new baby elicits all kinds of emotions children don’t know how to express. Me & THAT BABY! is a fun way to help them navigate deep feelings. The book sets the stage for healthy relationships.

Hot news to share! GoodReads is hosting a giveaway of 10 copies of Me & THAT BABY! They utilize a simple enter to win process. Winners are chosen by lottery and receive a paperback copy in the mail.

For those of you who prefer not to wait for a contest, Me & THAT BABY! is available on Amazon now.