Families who loved Penguin's Big Surprise by Susie Jenkin-Pearce often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
A parent should reach for this book when their child is expressing anxiety, skepticism, or even a little bit of annoyance about an upcoming change in the family dynamic. It is the perfect tool for helping a young child process the 'waiting period' that comes with a new sibling, using the gentle and relatable lens of the animal kingdom to make a big life transition feel manageable. In this story, Penguin is presented with a large, mysterious egg and told it is a surprise. As he waits for it to hatch, he experiences a range of emotions from confusion to protectiveness. This book is ideal for children ages 3 to 7 because it validates the 'not knowing' phase of becoming an older sibling. Parents will appreciate how the story uses humor and warmth to shift the child's perspective from seeing a new baby as a disruption to seeing them as a wonderful new friend.