Courtney Adamo and Esther van de Paal (text), Lizzy Stewart (illus.), 9 Months: a month by month guide to pregnancy for the family to share, Frances Lincoln/Murdoch Books, May 2017, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781847808172
This is a colourful, informative picture book aimed at children waiting for the birth of a sibling or other baby. Each early double-spread page represents a month of gestation, and has a similar format of embryo or foetus size, brief explanations of growth, and a dedicated page to ‘How is Mummy feeling?’. Later pages further discuss the birth, caring for a newborn, and take a more detailed look at the baby in the uterus as each month.
As with many information books, the context is specific to where it was written and published. The pictures represent what seems to be a middle-class family with a large house, whose mother gives birth in hospital. Overall, this would be a great book for adults to explain pregnancy to a young one while also discussing similarities and differences around their own circumstances.
Reviewed by Pam Harvey
