And after That

Publishers Weekly

Several new titles focus on comforting youngsters in a variety of situations. And After That... by Jeanne Ashb uses a simple lift-the-flap format and predictable text to ease toddlers into the idea of having a new baby in the house. The words "after socks," for instance, appear on an illustrated square flap; underneath lies a pair of lace-up shoes. A later section shows before-and-after scenes with baby and sibling. (Mar) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

This combination of supposedly cause and effect or related events is meant to reassure a boy or girl about the arrival of a new sibling. It provides some easily understood relationships—after daytime comes night, after socks, you put on your shoes. It continues in this vein until the baby is born. "Some things are going to change but others won't." Then as Mom and Dad devote time to the baby, they also devote time to the older child. Eventually the two (boys in this case) grow older and become great friends. Certainly every parent's fervent hope.
—Marilyn Courtot

School Library Journal

PreS-Through a simple, lift-the-flap format, this book strives to reassure new siblings that things are OK even with a new baby in the house. The first chapter looks at three events for which youngsters know, "what comes next," as in after daytime, it's nighttime; "After socks, you put on your shoes!" The second chapter has some surprises, as in "After building a tower, it falls down." Finally the author explains that after an infant is born, some things change and others won't-the baby will have a snack and after that the sibling will have one, too. While all three parts are connected by how they present the passage of time-now versus later-there's no real buildup into a cohesive experience. The predictable outcomes or inevitable progressions of the first two-thirds of the book don't carry the same emotional weight of having to wait one's turn as seen in the final chapter. The illustrations actually highlight this discrepancy. Blunt outlines softened by the use of sepia ink create simplistic, representative drawings for the first two sections: a pair of blue striped socks, a single mug of spilled liquid. But when Mom, Dad, infant, and sibling appear together, the scenes expand and become more detailed. They are endearing and satisfying but not in line with the rest of the art. Lifting the flap on each page does provide some interest, but not enough to pull this book together as a whole.-Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.