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Before You Were Born
Before You Were Born

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Authors: Jennifer Davis, Laura Cornell
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Discount Category: Book

Selling Price: $10.95
Buy Used: $0.01
Potential Savings: $10.94 (100%)



New (36) Used (49) Collectible (3) from $0.01

Customer Ratings: 4.0 out of 5 stars 18 comments

Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 36
Shipping Weight (pounds): 0.8
Dimensions (inch): 8.1 x 8.1 x 0.7

ISBN: 0761112006
Dewey Decimal Number: 612.63
UPC: 019628112002
EAN: 9780761112006

Publication Date: May 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Comments:
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2 out of 5 stars Too creepy   October 2, 2008
 0 out of 1 found this comment useful.

Did the images in this book creep anyone else out? I didn't appreciate the rhymes or the verbage in this book. The illustrations were creepy in a way. Giving an already imaginative child these illustrations (of a happy, smiling, fully-formed baby in utero doing gymnastics and) is only going to disappoint them at the birth.


5 out of 5 stars This is great for #2   January 11, 2007
I don't have a #2 yet but I am an elementary art teacher and let me tell you that I absolutly love this book. It is done in a fun way that tells both the mom and baby's point of view and gives fun facts that kids can relate to, like you were the size of a toster and what kinds of things the baby is working on at each stage of pregnance. I buy it for all my friends who are expecting, especially if it is # 2 or #3!


3 out of 5 stars Good, if you are mainstream...   June 28, 2004
 20 out of 38 found this comment useful.

... but if you are planning an out of hospital birth or a birth with midwives, it's not quite as peachy. There is an illustration of mom at the doctor's office getting checked out early on, a reference in the text to her seeing the doc when baby drops, and then she rushes off to the hospital to push and push in the final pages. No room for birth center or homebirth, the midwifery model of care or self-care.

There is also a full-page illustration of father dusting off a crib.

I also had a hard time identifying with the mother in the illustrations, who is very white upper-middle class in her dresses, make-up and workout clothing.

Parenting, lifestyle, and birth choices aside, this is definitely a book written by a mother, not a writer, and sometimes the rhymes are a bit forced. The illustrations make up for it in their jolly attitude, but are not caldecott contenders- they are quick and dirty cartoon style pen and ink, colorwash type things, with little art.

However, if you see an OB regularly, have a seperate nursery for baby, and like Martha Stewart, this book might be right on target for you!


4 out of 5 stars Good for toddlers   May 31, 2003
Our 2 1/2 year old loves it. It's the only good book we've found that demonstrates what's going on during the pregnancy, as opposed to when the child is already old enough to play with the sibling.


2 out of 5 stars Not the best book for preparing toddlers   October 24, 2002
 12 out of 13 found this comment useful.

I ordered this book, along with several others, to help prepare my 2-year old daughter for the arrival of her new baby sister. While the illustrations are charming and the text is cute, this book is much better suited for the older child, of the amusement of adults. It simply does not hold my toddler's attention. ...