What's He Doing Now?

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian in Pickering, Ontario.

This is a very relaxed and humorous picture book for the sibling-to-be.
Lewis is a charming, witty, and imaginative boy who is told that his
mother is expecting a baby. The soon-to-be big brother is naturally
curious about what the baby is doing as he grows. The parents answer
Lewis’s questions in a way they hope will make sense to him. For
example, when he asks about what the baby eats, his mother replies that
the baby eats what she eats. Then when Mom orders liver for dinner,
Lewis pipes up, “Give the kid a break, Mom. Have a hot dog.”

Lewis makes jokes but he is also a little uncertain about his role in
the family when the preparations for baby’s arrival take up
everyone’s attention. His parents assure him that he is their
number-one son. When the baby arrives, Lewis is not impressed with her
prunelike appearance, but the first squeeze of baby’s hand on his
finger gives him a sense of what it really means to be a big brother.

Soft watercolor drawings depict Lewis playing, drawing, and relaxing in
a natural and realistic way. Illustrations at the back of the book
detail the stages of the growing baby during pregnancy. Recommended for
siblings-to-be.