Does this book show graphic anatomical drawings or birth scenes?

No. The illustrations stick to stylized depictions of a baby curled inside mom's belly alongside cute fruit comparisons. There are no clinical diagrams, reproductive anatomy lessons, or depictions of labor.

Are the flaps sturdy enough for a two-year-old?

The pages are thick board, but the flaps themselves are cardstock attached by paper creases. They handle typical page turns well, but an unsupervised toddler who pulls outward instead of lifting will eventually tear a hinge.

Does it explain twins or multiples?

No. The text and artwork are built around a single pregnancy and use singular pronouns throughout.

Is it worth buying if my oldest child is already six?

Probably not. At six, kids usually want real scientific facts and find fruit comparisons babyish. This book hits the sweet spot for toddlers and preschoolers who need concrete physical objects to grasp size.

How Big Is Baby? – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

How Big Is Baby?

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2019

85%

WISE Score

A lift-the-flap board book that borrows the pregnancy app fruit scale to show toddlers how their new sibling grows.

How Big Is Baby?

book

2019

85%

WISE Score

A lift-the-flap board book that borrows the pregnancy app fruit scale to show toddlers how their new sibling grows.

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Where to Read

Our reviews and ratings are 100% unbiased. Screenwise is a Bookshop.org affiliate and an Amazon Associate, so if you buy a book through one of our links, we may earn a commission. Bookshop.org purchases also support independent bookstores.

Screenwise Verdict

Explaining pregnancy to a three-year-old usually falls flat because toddlers have no real sense of calendar time or internal biology. How Big Is Baby? skips the confusing anatomy lectures and leans entirely into visual scale, taking the fruit-comparison gimmick from pregnancy tracking apps and turning it into a physical lift-the-flap board book.

Kirsten Hall and illustrator Aki keep things simple, sweet, and tactile. It does not try to be an all-encompassing guide to becoming an older sibling; it is simply a monthly check-in tool you can pull off the shelf every few weeks to show physical progress. For families expecting a second or third child, it does its specific job very well.

Age Fit

Best for kids ages 2 to 5 who know a baby is on the way but struggle to visualize what is actually happening month to month.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Warm, reassuring look at fetal growth designed to make an older sibling feel included in the family transition.

Imaginative

Borrows the familiar fruit-and-vegetable pregnancy app sizing convention and translates it into colorful, interactive flap art.

Safe

100

Board book format with zero scary surprises, mature themes, or inappropriate content.

Enriching

Gives concrete physical scale to abstract concepts like nine months of gestation and prenatal development.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Concrete scale: Toddlers have no concept of nine months, but they understand the difference between a poppy seed and a cantaloupe.
Tactile flaps: Interactive flaps keep fidgety preschool hands engaged while reading through monthly milestones.
Clean illustrations: Aki's bright, friendly artwork keeps the focus on warmth rather than clinical anatomy.

⚠

What to Watch For

Flap durability: Thick board book construction helps, but aggressive toddlers will eventually crease paper hinges if unsupervised.
Narrow shelf life: This book solves a specific temporary problem. Once the baby arrives, it usually ends up in the donate pile.

Conversation Starters

"Which fruit or vegetable in the book do you think matches the baby right now?"
"What do you think babies do inside mom's belly all day?"
"What is one favorite toy you want to show the baby when they get here?"

Deep Dive

The Pregnancy App Gimmick, Made Physical

Most pregnancy tracker apps rely on comparing fetal size to produce: week 12 is a plum, week 24 is an ear of corn, week 36 is a honeydew melon. Adults laugh about how arbitrary the produce choices get, but for a preschooler, produce is actually the perfect frame of reference. A four-year-old cannot picture an eight-ounce fetus, but they know exactly how heavy a navel orange feels in their hand.

How Big Is Baby? takes that visual shorthand and pairs it with lift-the-flap paper mechanics. Under each flap, kids see the size comparison alongside simple milestones of what the baby is developing, from tiny fingernails to kicks against mom's belly.

How to Use It

Rather than reading this cover to cover once and putting it away, keep it accessible across the pregnancy:

Anchor it to grocery runs: When you hit a milestone, pick up that week's fruit at the store so your kid can hold it.
Pace the flaps: Only open up to the current month so your child has an incentive to revisit the book as the pregnancy advances.
Pair with emotional prep: Use this book for the physical curiosity, then reach for titles that focus on the emotional changes of sharing parental attention once the due date gets closer.

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