Written by my favorite children's author Newberry award winner, Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by one of my favorite author/illustrator, Caldecott award winner, Sophie Blackall, Pecan Pie Baby explores the anguish an older sibling goes through in anticipation of her altered new life once a new-baby-sibling arrives in the family.
Gia is tortured when she sees and feels that her world seems to be dominated by thoughts, words, and actions of the new-born baby.
Mama is holding on to Gia's old clothes so that the new baby can wear them.
Her school friends keep teasing Gia and playing new-born baby games.
Her aunties are so full of new-baby talk...
Poor Gia! She feels more and more and more lonely...
Her uncles help out in putting together a new crib.
Gias' grandma is fussing over Mama to ensure she is resting and eating healthy.
Gia is pretty miserable.
She recalls her moments with Mama when she was the cynosure of Mama's attention. When she and her Mama would be "drinking hot chocolate and telling silly stories."
"Now that baby was going to change everything".
When Gia gives vent to her pent-up emotion, she is admonished by being sent away from the Thanksgiving family dinner. However, when Mama comes to console Gia, and admits that she will miss those days when it was only her and Gia, Gia finally feels at peace.
Gia finally has a beautiful moment when she and her Mama share their much-loved pecan pie along with the soon-to-be-born baby.
It's a heart-warming story of how family dynamics can change with a new addition, in this case a new-born sibling. It's especially difficult and maybe traumatic also, if the older child has been the only child in the family and has been getting all the love and attention.
All of a sudden with the arrival of a new-born baby the entire attention is riveted on the new arrival. If the older sibling is at an emotionally mature age, then the new-born baby can really upset the older sibling's world.
I remember, when my brother was born, I would often times feel left out and unloved and that feeling continued way up to my adult years, so I could relate to this story very well.
Jacqueline Woodson's emotional language and Sophie Blackall's vibrant illustrations capture the nuances beautifully and it's a book I would love to read over and over again.
Image source: www.amazon.com | Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons - An imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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