Now We Have a Baby; When Goodbye is For Ever

While love is a theme in both of these books, the subjects could not be more different, the first being about birth, and the second about death.

Now We Have a Baby is a warm, straightforward account of a new baby in a happy family. The soft-focus, chalk illustrations show us that the middle child is finding the newest member of the family a little hard going. But the text tells us that love helps the baby learn - to smile, to talk, to help, and to share - and that love is what makes a family. The gentle joy in the pictures adds much to the theme. An excellent choice for families coming to terms with a baby.

When Goodbye is For Ever explains different kinds of partings - short ones, long ones, some that mean new beginnings, and some that are very final indeed. The emotions involved are honestly and lyrically presented, and the illustrations in rich, restrained colours emphasise these emotions with naive simplicity. The ending, a specifically religious one, gives hope for the future and promises that we, as well as those in heaven, 'are safe in the love of God'. A good choice for families with strong faith.