The Unwelcome Surprise -- fun new picture book about welcoming a new baby to the house

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today we are sharing our final of four newly released picture books. They were all released on Tuesday. Today's book shares a dog's point of view to a new surprise in the house. The book is The Unwelcome Surprise by Olga Herrera. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

From the Publisher:

Perfect for fans of Something's Wrong! and Can I Be Your Dog?, The Unwelcome Surprise is a charming new baby story full of debut author-illustrator Olga Herrera's incredibly humorous art, and that explores the fears and joys that come with change.

Every morning, Bongo walks downstairs to get his food, passing his dried-up potted plant, his old stained chair, and his stinky stained carpet. Until one morning...something is different! Something monstrous is in his way! Bongo is beside himself with worry; will it take his walks? What if it eats his food? Or even worse...what if it takes his family?!

From Me: 

Bongo loves his life and his family. He has his daily routine until one morning his family isn't doing their normal routine. Add in there are new things in the way of his normal routine. Something is going on. When his family gives him some attention there is all of a sudden, a large noise--a wail! It is a baby, and it takes Bongo a bit to get used to the new little one, but once he does, he has a new favorite thing. 

This book reminds me of my own story. Before Steve and I tried to get pregnant, we got a second cat. Our cat then, Simba, had been an only kitty for a long time. He adapted to Steve immediately, but we weren't sure how he would do with a baby taking our attention away. We decided to get a new kitten, Pumpkin, to get him used to not always being the center of our attention. Both cats loved the baby's things--crib, blankets, car seat, rocker, etc., but neither enjoyed having a baby in the house. Our current cats however love Hazel. 

This book gives the point of view of the pet. They don't understand what is going on or why there is all this new stuff in the house that wasn't there before. They certainly didn't understand why we would chase them away from the new interesting things. The loud baby scared them away however. Bongo is in a similar situation. He doesn't know what is going on. He even gets jealous of the new things like the stroller. He thinks they are taking his place. It is a fun book that really gets the reader thinking about pets and what they might be feeling and thinking.

I love how this book shares a different point of view. It also might be good for the children expecting a younger sibling. Their worlds are about to change, and they need to understand the differences. This book shows them that the changes don't just affect them. I hope you will check it out!!