How to Tell a Child a Baby Brother is Coming? A Birth Book for Children

How to Announce the Arrival of a Baby Brother?

When the family is about to grow, every parent asks themselves: “How will I tell my child that a baby brother is coming?” With patience and gradualness, in a clear and sincere way, it is important to explain to a child that the family is preparing to welcome a new life, that routines will change, and that the parents’ love will grow so much as to embrace everyone in a warm hug.

A birth book can be of great help in accompanying children through the arrival of a baby brother. For this purpose, we recommend the illustrated book I Imagined You, written by Paola Segantin and Luciano Cristiano, and illustrated by Chiara Nasi, which is a true celebration of the arrival of a new life into the world.

The Authors

Paola and Luciano are married and have three wonderful children. Paola is a teacher, Luciano is a philosopher, and together they create projects related to childhood that they share on social media, aiming to bring a new voice to education and care for young children. I Imagined You is a birth book for children, but not only that — it tackles a delicate and important topic in the simple and clear style of Paola and Luciano. Their experiences, hearts, and minds were a great inspiration for writing this poetic story.

Chiara, the illustrator, has a deep passion for picture books. Her illustrations are inspired by her love for Northern Europe, its landscapes, nature, and culture, with careful attention to the needs of young children. In this birth book, her delicate illustrations help the reader immerse in the poetry of the text and guide parents who wonder how to tell a child a baby brother is coming, accompanying them in their purpose.

Why This Book is Useful for Telling a Child a Baby Brother is Coming

We asked the authors to tell us how the idea of this book was born and why, in their view, it can be a useful tool to announce a baby brother to a child. Paola said:

This book was also born from the desire to create a book that ‘didn’t exist’. Books about birth for children often tackle the topic with the aim of ‘explaining’. And when it comes to emotions, the adult perspective often prevails (focusing on jealousy, fears, and reassurance). We, instead, used poetry, words that cradle the listener, guiding them through special atmospheres. Even unborn babies are sensitive to touch, light, voice, and music. Combining all this with the beautiful images created by Chiara was an attempt to paint universal memories and desires. With a slow reading of words and illustrations, infinite details emerge that connect to the small gestures of care and love that make each family’s life unique.

The illustrations, an integral part of the text, support the poetry. As Chiara explains:

The delicacy of a brushstroke, the movement of colour, or the depiction of a gesture are like emotional photographs that physically give life to the words in the text. Those experiencing a situation similar to what is depicted can feel part of those illustrations, which, like photographs, describe moments of daily life they are likely experiencing.

The authors’ idea is that this book on the arrival of a baby brother can enter families’ homes gently, as a book to read to the baby in the womb or as a bedtime story for slightly older children, accompanying every family member through the wonderful journey of anticipation.

And you — how did you tell your child a baby brother was coming? Let us know in the comments, and especially tell us if the book I Imagined You was a useful tool to understand how to tell a child a baby brother is coming.

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