A nicely done book about the changes that may happen when a new member is added to the family. A great read aloud.

This book is ideal for children and families that are expecting a little sibling to be born. It reflected both the fears and hopes so well. The book also deals with the topic of change, and how even if some things change, others don't have to. I think it is a very reassuring and comforting read.

I thought that this was a really good story and it was one that I enjoyed.

The book tells the story of a little girl and her pregnant mother go out together in a blue canoe, I liked that this was something that they do together (the dad doesn't like going in the canoe).

The girl is concerned about the pending arrival of their new baby brother or sister. The story also tells of wildlife, they see otters and other animals that enhance their journey and they swim together, the book is about the special memories that they make together and reassurance that things won't change the close relationship that the girl has with her mum.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

A really lovely book about a little girl who is about to become a big sister.
The girl and her mother love to go canoeing in their blue canoe. It is their thing to do together.
The girl is taken on a beautiful trip down the river by her mother where she sees many animal mothers with their new babies.
The little girl has a few worries about being a big sister and asks her mother questions about.
By the end of the story the girl is no longer worried for the arrival of her sister, she is just excited and looking forward to it.

Beautifully written and illustrated. Highly recommend.

Beautiful pictures and a wonderful story about a new baby coming to the family. It teaches that mom can be tired AND still find enjoyment in the things she enjoyed with the older child, everyone in the family can like different things, and truly displays a mom and child bonding.

Thank you to NetGalley, Familius, and Sheryl McFarlane for the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a charming 'big sibling' book - and while most are focused on adjusting after the baby comes, this one nicely covers all the hopes and fears a big sister may have in anticipation of the baby coming. I also loved the quiet time mother and daughter are spending together out in the canoe and out in nature on a day just for them (while dad pursues his own different passions). It's a good lesson that everyone has different things they like, and you don't have to spend every moment together as a family when your hobbies are different!

A little girl and her pregnant mother go out on the water in a canoe. The girl is concerned about what the arrival of the baby will bring, but her mother assures her that canoeing together makes her mother feel good. Around them is a terrific variety of wildlife, eating, playing, swimming or flying overhead.

The concerns voiced by the little girl are realistic, and addressed with warmth and sense, soothing both the girl and the reader that all will be well, even with the addition to the family.

The illustrations are gorgeous, and beautifully show the wonders around the pair, and all the things the girl and her new sibling will have to enjoy eventually together, making this a calming, happy tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Familius for this ARC in exchange for my review.

What a sweet, loving picture book it is !!

"Every cabin day is a paddle-on-the-lake day."
It is a story of a mother-daughter duo who loves canoeing. They left from home for a nature visitation on their canoe, to enjoy beauty lies in and nearby the lake beside which they have their home. There is this delightful conversation between Mother and daughter about the new member of their family who happen to become family soon. A pregnant mother was relieved to paddle with her young daughter who was carrying a teddy bear with her on canoe pretending it to be her born-to-be younger brother, as she already made that toy to wear life jacket.
"You’ll be paddling with us too, coming-soon baby.
Mom and me and you in our blue canoe."

Such a pretty picture book on the psychology of a child when they wait for their sibling to come and become older ones themselves. At such a young age they got feeling to make safe their younger sibling and that's what makes them responsible in future to come. This is all the effect of a better parenting.

They Start canoeing from the spot in lake nearby their home and get to the place where they even swim and enjoyed little fishes moving around their legs when they stood in shallow water. She was thinking of her canoeing not to get stopped even after her sibling come to this world.
"Dad will take care of our baby while we paddle.”

The discussion they went through whole of this book, page-by-page, was so lovely and meant to be cherished as that was not just reflecting the innocence of a child but also depicting the educating sense of a parent to make the older one responsible and rather not insecure about the love they're getting already from his/her parents, to get reduced even a bit for once, after they have their second child.
Also, mother taught her daughter that she should not hope for her younger born-to-be sibling to follow the same suit as theirs.

“What if our coming-soon
baby doesn’t like canoeing?”
“It’s okay for different people to like different things,” Mom says.
“Dad doesn’t like to canoe, but you and I do."


But mother didn't just deny her of any expectations in whole, and left a chance for her to think and thus, that's what make her be somewhat optimistic in her mind for 'what if' her li'l brother (as she hoped her younger sibling to be) to like and go out with her and mother on canoe.
"But mostly . . .
I can’t wait for Mom and me and you to
paddle on the lake in our blue canoe."

This is one of the most delightful and thoughtful story, I have read this year. And, apart from this the illustrations were so lively, colorful and vibrantly peaceful. Not just the background images but also the faces of characters were so expressive. Even otters were having realistic facial expressions. So, Kudos to Laurel Aylesworth for this. Even Cover was meant to become poster of a movie if this ever transformed to a children's animation movie. So soothing, like the one I saw in Moana movie.

For me this deserves 5.0/5.0 on all aspects, be it cover, content, character, illustrations, depiction form of story-telling.

Fabulously written and lively, illustrious art.

A short cute book about a pregnant mother and her daughter who is expecting a little brother or sister. The story consists of the girl's thoughts about whether the baby will like all the things she likes to do with her mom. The characters don't have names, so any child can relate to the story, which is good, in my opinion. The illustrations are wonderful and extremely beautiful. But, unfortunately, in general, I didn't feel anything while reading this story, it's just not for me. However, I still recommend reading to young children whose mothers are pregnant.

This story is an adorable big sister story. Waiting for the baby to come and worrying about what it might be like, our ideas that are relatable to many first time siblings. The illustrations in this book were beautifully done. This is a story that I will be recommending to any of my students who are soon to be big siblings.

The Blue Canoe is a sweet book that showcases nature and the concerns and excitement of a child anxiously awaiting a baby sibling. This is a gentle story that shows an honest approach to answering those what if questions kids have and easing fears of no longer being an only child. I loved the illustrations that show pond/lake life.

This is a wonderful book for a child who is waiting for a sibling. All children have questions on what they will be like. I like the way the author answers the questions the child asks. The illustrations are very calming and pleasant. The added information of the marine life and animals from the lake is educational and informative. The author seemed very intuned to children.

This is a perfect story about welcoming new siblings into the family. The story is perfect and the artwork featuring all different animals and bugs are beautifully done. I appreciate when mom talks about people having different interests and especially the one multiple meaning word for painter. I didn’t know that it was and I learned something new. These are skills I teach my students. Mom is gentle and the little girl is inquisitive about how things will change once the baby is born. Mom assures her that even though she may be tired, there will always be time for them alone.

I think that this book was the result of a great idea, and will definitely be great for a specific group of kids to have. This specific group would be kids in families that are expecting a baby. However, I think that this book would not interest kids that don't fall into that group. The message would just go straight over their heads and they would likely be bored.
But, for kids in families that ARE expecting a new baby, this book will be wildly helpful and relevant. It accurately and effectively addresses fears that might come with getting a new younger sibling, with beautifully done illustrations on every page. The only critique I have is that, while important and relevant to these kids, it might become boring at times. In other words, I just think that it's a bit too simple for kids that have shorter attention spans. Are there still ups and downs in the plot? Yes. Are they drastic enough to capture attention? Not really.
Other than that, though, I know that this book will be such a great tool for the kids that need it.

an illustrated book about expecting a sibling in a beautiful setting.
As someone who does not speak English as their mother tongue, I found a few sentences difficult/confusing and therefore concern if the children will enjoy this book as much as adults do.

This is a cute read, especially great for the little kids who will have a new sibling soon. The conversations the mum and the little girl have on the canoe are really wholesome and a great part of this book. The illustrations are really cute - especially all the nature shots, especially those pages when we get the illustration from below the water.

A very cute read.

What a beautiful book, I absolutely adored the art! This is a story about a young girl and her mom taking a canoe trip and talking about the new baby that her mom is expecting. The little girl has questions and is uncertain but her mom reassures her and it's just very sweet. The art is so peaceful and creates such a lovely atmosphere and the message of the story is lovely. A great resource for anyone with a child who is nervous or unsure about becoming an older sibling

The artwork in this book is so pretty and peaceful. The colors are vibrant and wonderful and I just found myself smiling while looking at the pictures. The story is very nice as well, and definitely a book that would be perfect for any family expecting their second (or third or fourth) child, especially those who enjoy camping, nature, canoeing, etc.

As a young girl and her mom take their daily paddle in their blue canoe, she can't stop thinking about her future baby sibling. As she and her pregnant mom paddle along, they see all the things that she and her coming-soon baby sibling can do together. She is excited to show her coming-soon baby sibling all the fun things on the canoe. However, she has a few concerns along the way too. Luckily, she talks with her mom about it all, and they look at all the good stuff to come. The sister in this story is so excited to introduce her and her mom's canoeing tradition with the baby and all the fun things that come along with it.
 
This is such a sweet story of a soon-to-be big sister and her excitement over having a sibling. It also talks about some of the concerns she has about having a sibling. This is so common for older children who are expecting siblings to be worried about some things, like whether mom and dad still have time for me, whether the baby will like me, what the baby will be like, etc. The author wrote this with such sensitivity on the topic of becoming a sibling. It is not an easy transition for many kids, and books like this can definitely help prepare them emotionally for it. The illustrations are so pretty and really help tell the story. I love the details, such as the sparkle on the water, the emotions on faces, and the animals. The colours are beautiful, they represent nature perfectly and draw attention to where they want it.
I wish I had had this book when I was pregnant with my daughter. My son would have loved it.

I read this book to my class because we had a few students who were about to become older siblings and needed the reassurance.