98 books like Hello in There!

By Jo Witek, Christine Roussey (illustrator),

Here are 98 books that Hello in There! fans have personally recommended if you like Hello in There!. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The New Small Person

Serene Chia Author Of I Love My Little Brother

From my list on preparing older child for new baby.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started writing children's books to connect more with my daughter. When she was born, I struggled to bond with her because I felt like I had lost part of who I was. My husband reminded me how important it was to build a strong bond with her, so I began spending more one-on-one time with her. Our favorite activity was looking for the moon together, which led to my first book, "Mommy, Mommy, Where Is The Moon?". When my son came along, I made sure my daughter knew she was still loved, promising our special time together wouldn't stop and she would always be my first baby.

Serene's book list on preparing older child for new baby

Serene Chia Why did Serene love this book?

I thought the introduction of a boy named Elmore Green and how life used to be helped to set the stage for the day everything changed when his little brother was born.

I loved that it goes through some of the struggles that Elmore goes through, like having to share his toys and space, which is something that every older sibling will need to go through. 

By Lauren Child,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The New Small Person as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Elmore Green started life as an only child, as many children do. He had a room all to himself, and everything in it was his. But one day, everything changed.
This brand new picture book from the hugely talented Lauren Child about the arrival of a new sibling is bound to be a hit with parents and children. Told with humour and with wonderfully stylish artwork, this is Lauren Child at her absolute best.


Book cover of Big Brother Daniel

Serene Chia Author Of I Love My Little Brother

From my list on preparing older child for new baby.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started writing children's books to connect more with my daughter. When she was born, I struggled to bond with her because I felt like I had lost part of who I was. My husband reminded me how important it was to build a strong bond with her, so I began spending more one-on-one time with her. Our favorite activity was looking for the moon together, which led to my first book, "Mommy, Mommy, Where Is The Moon?". When my son came along, I made sure my daughter knew she was still loved, promising our special time together wouldn't stop and she would always be my first baby.

Serene's book list on preparing older child for new baby

Serene Chia Why did Serene love this book?

I loved that this book tells the story of him introducing his new baby sister, Margaret, to the reader. It also focuses on how Daniel can be a big helper in the family in an easy and relatable way.

The book also mentions the importance of special time with just Mom and Dad, which assures the older sibling that he or she is not forgotten and still loved. 

By Angela C Santomero, Jason Fruchter (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Big Brother Daniel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

A new generation of children love Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, inspired by the classic series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood!

Daniel Tiger is learning to be a good big brother to Baby Margaret in this sweet shaped board book, based on a very special episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood!

Daniel Tiger is so happy: He’s just gotten a new baby sister! Baby Margaret is very little, and she needs lots of care from Mom and Dad. But not to worry, big brother Daniel is here to help!

This adorable story is perfect for little ones who are about to become big brothers or…


Book cover of I Am a Big Sister

Serene Chia Author Of I Love My Little Brother

From my list on preparing older child for new baby.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started writing children's books to connect more with my daughter. When she was born, I struggled to bond with her because I felt like I had lost part of who I was. My husband reminded me how important it was to build a strong bond with her, so I began spending more one-on-one time with her. Our favorite activity was looking for the moon together, which led to my first book, "Mommy, Mommy, Where Is The Moon?". When my son came along, I made sure my daughter knew she was still loved, promising our special time together wouldn't stop and she would always be my first baby.

Serene's book list on preparing older child for new baby

Serene Chia Why did Serene love this book?

I liked it. The book starts from the moment the baby arrives and describes the tasks that the big sister can help with, like helping to throw a soiled diaper and playing with the baby.

The book also shows, through its illustrations, how big sisters can interact with their new siblings with confidence as they take up this new role. 

By Caroline Church,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Am a Big Sister as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 2, 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Share the joys of becoming a big sister!

With the arrival of a new baby comes many transitions, and big sisters may need a little extra tender loving care to adjust to a new family situation. This sweet story with adorable toddler illustrations by Caroline Jayne Church is just right to share with and prepare an older sister getting ready for an expanding family.

Book cover of First Questions and Answers: Where do babies come from?

Serene Chia Author Of I Love My Little Brother

From my list on preparing older child for new baby.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started writing children's books to connect more with my daughter. When she was born, I struggled to bond with her because I felt like I had lost part of who I was. My husband reminded me how important it was to build a strong bond with her, so I began spending more one-on-one time with her. Our favorite activity was looking for the moon together, which led to my first book, "Mommy, Mommy, Where Is The Moon?". When my son came along, I made sure my daughter knew she was still loved, promising our special time together wouldn't stop and she would always be my first baby.

Serene's book list on preparing older child for new baby

Serene Chia Why did Serene love this book?

I loved that this lift-the-flap Usborne book not only focused on where human babies come from but also included facts on animal babies.

This helps children understand that even in nature, babies are born, and just like human babies, they grow and are taken care of by their parents. I also liked the vivid illustrations that helped to complement the Q&A format of this nonfiction book.

By Katie Daynes, Christine Pym (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked First Questions and Answers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A delightful way for young children to discover where babies come from - from baby humans to kittens, caterpillars and kangaroos. Young children can lift the flaps to find out how babies are made, when they are born, what new babies need and how they grow. A charming, age-appropriate introduction to the facts of life to share with young children.


Book cover of The Sweet Spot

Nancy Crochiere Author Of Graceland

From my list on runaway moms.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a young working mom, I occasionally longed to follow the example of columnist Erma Bombeck and hide from my family in the car. Instead, I channeled the mayhem of family life into a humor column called “The Mother Load,” which detailed the day-to-day challenges of running a business while caring for two daughters, one husband, two guinea pigs, and a dancing rabbit. When I decided to pursue my life-long dream to write fiction, my debut novel was a humorous story about a mother-daughter-grandmother road trip/chase from Boston to Memphis. Although my writing doesn’t shy away from serious issues, I choose to see the world through a humorous and ultimately hopeful lens.

Nancy's book list on runaway moms

Nancy Crochiere Why did Nancy love this book?

The runaway mom in The Sweet Spot is an entrepreneur and TV personality who sends the plot spiraling into mayhem when she takes off to film a reality show, leaving her infant son with her ill-prepared new husband, Russell.

At wit’s end, Russell begs the help of his still-fuming ex-wife, Melinda, who in turn ropes in the family on whom she’s been unfairly taking out her anger. What I love about this book is its humor (I laughed out loud several times) and overall good nature. Although all the characters are flawed, the author gives us something to love about all of them. 

By Amy Poeppel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sweet Spot as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amy Poeppel brings her signature "big-hearted, charming" (The Washington Post) style to this wise and joyful novel that celebrates love, hate, and all of the glorious absurdity in between.

In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby-belonging to exactly none of them-lands on their collective doorstep.

Lauren and her family-lucky bastards-have been granted the use of a spectacular brownstone, teeming with history and dizzyingly unattractive 70s wallpaper. Adding to the home's bohemian, grungy splendor is the bar occupying the basement, a (mostly) beloved dive called The Sweet Spot. Within days of moving in,…


Book cover of Everywhere Babies

Idris Goodwin Author Of Your House Is Not Just a House

From my list on books to read aloud to children.

Why am I passionate about this?

From my work as a playwright and breakbeat poet, Artistic Director of Seattle Children’s Theatre, and full-time co-parent, I've dedicated my career to crafting engaging narratives that resonate across generations. With over sixty original plays to my name, I've honed a unique approach that intertwines hip-hop rhythms with rich storytelling. My debut picture book is a testament to this approach—inviting children and parents to discover the boundless creativity that can be found in everyday spaces. It’s my hope that this book inspires families to explore their homes with fresh eyes and open hearts, turning reading into an adventure of imagination.

Idris' book list on books to read aloud to children

Idris Goodwin Why did Idris love this book?

This is a beautifully rhythmic book that captures the universal joy and diversity of babies and their families. With its bouncy rhythm and expansive illustrations showcasing cultural diversity, this book is an ode to our shared humanity.

In today's climate, where such books face challenges (this book is banned in some states), it's more important than ever to celebrate and share stories that honor our beginnings and the universal experiences of love and family.

By Susan Meyers, Marla Frazee (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Everywhere Babies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With an irresistible rhyming text and delightfully endearing illustrations, here is an exuberant celebration of playing, sleeping, crawling, and of course, very noisy babies doing all the wonderful things babies do best.

Every day, everywhere, babies are born. They're kissed and dressed and rocked and fed-and completely adored by the families who love them.

New York magazine's The Strategist chose Everywhere Babies as one of the "Best (Nonobvious) Baby Books to Bring to a Shower." As The Strategist stated: "Babies love looking at other babies, and this book is filled with all kinds of adorable ones." Plus the book's art…


Book cover of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

Shane Herron Author Of Irony and Earnestness in Eighteenth-Century Literature: Dimensions of Satire and Solemnity

From my list on weird, outrageous, funny books of the Enlightenment.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by the convergence of the serious and the absurd. Raised on the experimental humor of the 90s, I was delighted to find that weird humor and an absurd sensibility were not limited to experimental novelists of the 20th century. In the literature of the Enlightenment, I found proof that taking a joke to its limit can also produce experimental insight, deep feeling, and intellectual discovery. I discovered a time when early novelists moved seamlessly between satirical mimicry and serious first-person narrative; when esoteric philosophy and scientific abstraction blended in with the weirdness of formalist experimentation. I discovered that the Enlightenment was anything but dull. 

Shane's book list on weird, outrageous, funny books of the Enlightenment

Shane Herron Why did Shane love this book?

I love the experimental and absurd sensibility of this novel. In an age known for its groundbreaking fiction, this work stands out for its playfulness and complexity. Like Swift, Sterne was a clergyman of the Church of England, and I love how intelligent and sophisticated he is about dirty jokes and silly scenarios.

I also appreciate Sterne’s commitment to pushing the envelope: Sterne inserts all sorts of oddities, from marble pages to graphical representations of the book’s winding narrative. The book obsesses over the minutiae and small details of everyday life even as it considers weighty issues and tragic events.

Predicting both Freud and postmodernism, I love how this work feels both ultra-modern and very much of its time. 

By Laurence Sterne,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Endlessly digressive, boundlessly imaginative and unmatched in its absurd and timeless wit, Laurence Sterne's The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is edited with an introduction by Melvin New and Joan New, and includes a critical essay by Christopher Ricks in Penguin Classics.

Laurence Sterne's great masterpiece of bawdy humour and rich satire defies any attempt to categorize it, with a rich metafictional narrative that might classify it as the first 'postmodern' novel. Part novel, part digression, its gloriously disordered narrative interweaves the birth and life of the unfortunate 'hero' Tristram Shandy, the eccentric philosophy of his father Walter,…


Book cover of Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby

Nancy Raines Day Author Of Applesauce Is Fun to Wear

From my list on sharing laughs with toddlers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I believe laughing together is a big part of the glue that bonds people together. Humor has gotten me through my toughest times—and given me much joy in the good times. Laughing over my books with one or both of my toddler grandsons will always be cherished memories for me. Likewise, I love hearing about moments of connection for other readers bonding over Applesauce Is Fun to Wear, Baby’s Opposites, Baby’s Firsts, and Pirate Jack Gets Dressed. Picture books should appeal to the ear as well as the eye. Coming from a family of musicians, I’m partial to rhyme, as you might guess from most of my picks here.

Nancy's book list on sharing laughs with toddlers

Nancy Raines Day Why did Nancy love this book?

Parents and older siblings will join me in identifying with the sleepy-eyed family members shown here, while toddlers will cheer on the wide-eyed baby.

The text is a litany of everyone and everything that is sleepy, with the title repeated throughout the day’s wind-down. “Sleepy moon,/ sleepy stars,/ sleepy night sky./Everyone’s sleepy/ but the baby,/ why, why, why?” In the final spread, the baby joins both dozing parents in dreamland. Parent readers can only hope their little one isn’t giggling too hard to follow suit.

By Tracy C. Gold, Adele Dafflon (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sleepy Mommy, Sleepy Daddy, Sleepy little dog. Everyone's sleepy But the baby, Yawn, yawn, yawn. After a long day, the whole family is ready to hit the hay . . . except for the baby. Why is it so hard to get the baby to sleep? With hilarious illustrations that might hit a little too close to home for new parents, Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby is the perfect, true-to-life bedtime story that will help even the most reluctant sleeper wind down for bed.


Book cover of The Nest

Iphigenia Jones Author Of What Would Wednesday Do?: Gothic Guidance and Macabre Musings from Your Favorite Addams Family Member

From my list on reading like Wednesday Addams and indulging your dark side.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to the creepy and kooky world of the Addams Family. I’ve watched every episode of the 1960s sitcom. I fell in love with the 90s films, and when the Netflix adaptation Wednesday aired, I streamed every episode immediately. I’ve written two books based on Wednesday and her family, and I have an upcoming cocktail book with recipes based on gothic literature. My love of horror books and my understanding of the Addams family led me to seek out the perfect list of Wednesday read-alikes.

Iphigenia's book list on reading like Wednesday Addams and indulging your dark side

Iphigenia Jones Why did Iphigenia love this book?

In this middle-grade horror novel, Steve is feeling lonely and worried. His newborn brother is sick in the hospital, and his parents are understandably stressed. There’s also a wasp’s nest threatening their home, which becomes a bigger problem when the wasp queen visits him in his dreams. One night, the queen comes to Steve and offers to help “fix” the baby.

I have read many, many horror books. I consider myself a connoisseur of the creepy. This book, intended for middle-grade children, remains one of the scariest books I’ve read. It’s filled with dread while also centering on family.

I can imagine a young Wednesday (as played by Christina Ricci or the late great Lisa Loring) reading this book and imagining what she would wish upon her own brother should a wasp queen approach her.

By Kenneth Oppel, Jon Klassen (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Nest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

'The first time I saw them, I thought they were angels.' The baby is sick. Mom and Dad are sad. And all Steve has to do is say, "Yes" to fix everything. But yes is a powerful word. It is also a dangerous one. And once it is uttered, can it be taken back? Treading the thin line between dreams and reality, Steve is stuck in a nightmare he can't wake up from and that nobody else understands. And all the while, the wasps' nest is growing, and the 'angel' keeps visiting Steve in the night.

A haunting coming of…


Book cover of Why Love Matters: How affection shapes a baby's brain

Alice O'Keeffe Author Of On The Up

From my list on books for frazzled parents–and their children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I began writing my book when my older son was two, and my youngest was less than six months. And if that sounds like a bad idea to you–it was! But despite the madness of trying to write a novel in 5-minute parcels of time, for me, it was a necessary way to reclaim some of my individuality at a time when I often felt I was losing it. I’m so glad I have my book to remind me of the very particular challenges of new parenthood. These are some books I found that helped me do just that.

Alice's book list on books for frazzled parents–and their children

Alice O'Keeffe Why did Alice love this book?

When dealing with difficult behaviour, it can help to understand how your kids’ early experiences may have influenced their emotional landscape.

Sue Gerhardt's book draws on recent developments in neuroscience and developmental psychology to explain how babies’ brains are formed. She shows us that our early, fumbling parental mistakes can have consequences that play out over a lifetime.

As a working parent, I found it a sobering read–Gerhardt pulls no punches about the potentially damaging impact of putting your one-year-old in nursery, for example. But ultimately, the book is so persuasive that it feels worth facing up to these tough questions. She also constructs a compelling case about the long-term social impact of a government’s failure to support parents.

By Sue Gerhardt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Why Love Matters as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why Love Matters explains why loving relationships are essential to brain development in the early years, and how these early interactions can have lasting consequences for future emotional and physical health. This second edition follows on from the success of the first, updating the scientific research, covering recent findings in genetics and the mind/body connection, and including a new chapter highlighting our growing understanding of the part also played by pregnancy in shaping a baby's future emotional and physical well-being.

The author focuses in particular on the wide-ranging effects of early stress on a baby or toddler's developing nervous system.…


Book cover of The New Small Person
Book cover of Big Brother Daniel
Book cover of I Am a Big Sister

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