This is such a heartwarming story with adorable illustrations. The story follows a big sister as she waits patiently for her brother to come home from the NICU. The book gently guides the young readers to be patient in case of a medical situation. This book reassures the readers that while the wait might seem endless, it is ultimatel rewarding, making this a comforting as well as meaningful story.

This is such a sweet story. This book tells the story of how a big sister patiently waits for her baby brother to come back home from the hospital. This story teaches young readers that although waiting is hard, love and patience make the wait worthwhile. The illustrations are so colorful and cute.

When you have to diagnose certain books for certain children for certain reasons I'm sure that with some of them the heart sinks a little at the joyless read you've directed them to have. Not so here – this is breezy, colourful, and certainly has a storyline to match its message. Max was due, and was due home – but then was born early, and had to stay in the neonatal ICU, which leaves Louise flummoxed, baby brother-less, and stuck with using her imagination, wacky ideas and persistence that he get well enough to come home for the first time. This then is a wonderful way to tell young children that their baby siblings are still going to be worth the wait, and that with hope and care and love from afar they certainly will overcome whatever put them in their "little plastic box" of an incubator. It's a great way to show young audiences what is happening in the NICU and why they are not allowed to witness it, with all the positivity and reassurance needed that it is only temporary. Knowing no fault here, and knowing no rival, this has to get five stars, for it has charm as well as consummate usefulness.

This is a beautiful book! Louise is such a big hearted and spunky character, it’s hard not to love her. I love how much she loves her baby brother right away, and her thoughtfulness in brainstorming ways to bring him home. The NICU experience can be difficult to explain and I think this book would be an extremely valuable tool in opening those conversations with excited siblings (or other loved ones).

When my nephew was born six weeks early in 1997, there were a lot of questions and so much uncertainty. He’s an adult now, and looking at him you would never guess he was once such a teeny tiny baby in one of those “plastic boxes”. My nephew didn’t have any brothers or sisters when he was born, but if he did this book would’ve been so helpful. It is such a beautiful story and long overdue. I can see it giving so many little brothers and sisters hope for years to come. Highly recommended to everyone.

A Touching Story of Waiting and Hope.

Waiting for Max by Emily Rosen is a beautiful and heartfelt picture book that tackles a sensitive topic with grace and warmth. This Children's Fiction book tells the story of a young girl named Louise who is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new baby brother, Max, who was born early and must stay in the hospital's NICU.
The book excels in its gentle and empathetic approach to a difficult situation that many families face. It’s a wonderful resource for parents to help siblings understand the NICU journey from a perspective they can relate to. The narrative beautifully captures the feelings of waiting and longing, as Louise uses her "BIG imagination to come up with a plan to get Max home."
Beyond the story itself, the art style is a major highlight. The illustrations are vibrant, warm, and inviting, perfectly capturing the emotions and innocence of the characters. Each page feels like a work of art, enhancing the heartfelt message of the story. This book is not only a joy to read but also a visual treat.
Overall, Waiting for Max is more than just a children's story; it's a touching tale about love, patience, and hope. It offers a valuable message for both children and adults, making it an excellent addition to any family’s library, especially for those navigating a similar journey. I highly recommend it for its beautiful art, thoughtful story, and wonderful moral lesson.

Waiting for Max was an absolutely beautiful read, it was incredibly touching whilst also humorous.

It depicts a child who is (im)patiently waiting for her new baby brother Max to come home from the hospital. Her parents bring home photos from their visits and are always willing to answer her questions about Max, however she just wants him to come home so she can finally meet him. Each day she draws him a picture, well I should say a ‘plan’ that depicts a new method that he could use to escape the hospital and finally make it home.

This book could be used as such a great tool for any families experiencing life with a child in the NICU and how to discuss these topics with their children, and will help provide children with someone to relate to. It also helps inspire families with ways to help with this impatient waiting, with methods such as photo/video sharing as well as bringing in drawings from other children into the NICU so they can feel close to the new baby whilst not being able to be there.

The illustrations in this book are INCREDIBLE, I loved the colour palette, textures, and overall style of the imagery and am keen to look up more of the illustrators work after reading this book.

A truly enjoyable read and with such an important theme 5/5

This story was so amazing! I really enjoyed seeing the topic being touched. Of course.. It’s teaching our children about patience’s, but the setting being the NICU is so cool, I remember waiting to take my baby home. I was feeling just like sweet Louise. I think the NICU should have a few copies of these in there & a great gift to a NICU mommy. Beautiful story & illustration.

Thank you NetGalley & Emily Rosen for the opportunity to read this incredible story.

Waiting for Max is a story about a big sister who is so excited for her baby brother to come home. Unfortunately, he was born a bit early and needs to stay in the NICU for a while. She tries to come up with plans for how to get him home. This was a very sweet story and would benefit siblings of NICU babies, as long as they know they that there is no set time for staying in the NICU and it's all about how a baby's health. The illustrations are very soft and showed a lot of action.

Thanks to The Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Heartwarming, beautiful, and educational book.
My son, 4 years old, watched a video about babies in an incubator, and this book came across me on NetGalley at the same time. Hence, I could explain about baby in NICU and incubator through this book.
The simple words and beautifully colorful illustrations made this book perfect for me and my son. At the end of the book, he understood more about incubator. Yet I still need to explain to him more about why some babies like to get out early from their mommies' stomachs. For me, a good children books are the ones that could spark my son more questions about topics presented. So, this book was definitely a good book for my son and me.
I might also cried a little bit when finally Louise met Max. Louise was such as a perfect sister for Max.

Thank you to Emily Rosen, The Collective Book Studio, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book has sweet, colorful illustrations, and it tells the story of an older sister's wait for her little brother to come home from the NICU. It's rare to see children's books about siblings in the hospital, and this book offers a unique perspective. Since NICU stays are so common, it's great to have a book that validates children's experiences of uncertainty and impatience as they wait for their baby sibling to come home.

The little girl in this story keeps trying to come up with creative solutions to bring her brother home faster, and she draws pictures of each idea. Her drawings appear in the illustrations, and are very cute and charming. However, my hesitation with this book is that it seems to support the main character's belief that she is partly responsible for helping her brother come home. Although this book offers a sweet, realistic portrayal of how young children think, I'm concerned that this could backfire in some cases.

I wish that this book had contradicted the girl's feelings of responsibility and made it clearer to young readers that she had nothing to do with the length of her brother's NICU stay. The book's portrayal is accurate to the girl's developmental stage, and it's certainly understandable that she would want to feel like she has some power over her circumstances. However, I'm concerned that in cases where a baby sibling never makes it out of the NICU, this book could make an older sibling worry that they could have done something to prevent this. Although I liked this book overall, I'm concerned that the uncorrected magical thinking could end up confusing young readers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

This is an amazing book. Louise is waiting for her baby brother, Max, to come home, but he ends up in the NICU. This book is all about her waiting for her brother to come home. It's so cute. I absolutely love it. ❤️

Definitely recommend this book.

An amazing book!!! Made me emotional too. Really well written and the illustrations were super amazing too!
Just one point, maybe the text placement could be better in some places.

The might be one of the cutest books I have ever read. The story follows a little girl as she waits to meet her baby brother while he's in the NICU. I was curious to read it after my family had our own NICU experience. This book pulled at my heartstrings in the best way possible. By focusing on the big sister's excitement for the baby to get home, it brings sweet feelings which can mean so much in a tough experience like a NICU stay. This book is so needed!

From my own experience as a NICU parent, there was such a tough pull between the baby in need and the big sibling at home. I love how this book highlights the positive feelings and desires of the big sibling at home and I feel like it would have been a great reminder during that NICU time. I truly adored this book and would purchase it for littles with a NICU sibling in a heartbeat. It reads like it would bring joy to kids and grown ups alike.

One of those truly perfect stories. Gentle, heartfelt, and beautifully illustrated. It completely warmed my heart.

As I read it, I imagined myself both as the mom and as the little kiddo waiting for their baby sibling to come home from the NICU. That child, full of big feelings, needs attention more than ever - and needs their parents to help explain what’s happening, to reassure them, so they can understand, and wait… and wait.

This book offers exactly that kind of support. It’s full of empathy and hope, and will be such a helpful tool for families going through this emotional time.

And from my heart: I hope every NICU baby gets to come home soon. 💛

Such a beautiful story! The fact that Louise’s parents brought her drawings to Max in the NICU, then hung them on his bedroom wall over his bassinet was especially touching.

This story was such a heartwarming read! 💛 It beautifully captures the magic of a child’s imagination while gently explaining the NICU in a way kids can truly understand.

You can absolutely tell this was written by someone who’s lived this experience—the emotion, the tenderness, the hope—it all shines through. The story follows sweet Louise as she waits for her baby brother, Max, to grow strong enough to come home. Through her drawings and dreams, we see how children process the unknown with love and creativity.

It’s a perfect book for siblings, parents, and families navigating the NICU journey—offering comfort, clarity, and so much heart. 💙👶🏽📚

A beautiful light hearted book for a difficult time in a family’s lives, Waiting For Max gives siblings a glimpse of what happens in the NICU.

The illustrations are beautiful and are a big part of the narrative. I got all the feels!

This story is absolutely adorable! The art was gorgeous and the words were heartwarming. This is a fantastic book for kids with siblings in the NICU or for kids eager to learn more about different ways babies can begin their lives.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

The story is tender and thoughtful. Louisa is curious, understanding, and DETERMINED! The book really captures that impatience of waiting and Louise tries to find something—anything!—that can help her baby brother come home.

I do not think I have ever seen a children’s book that brings a NICU situation down to a level where small children can understand and not fear it. I’m glad it exists because NICU situations can be hard to understand, and books always help children understand things better. The book explains is simple and comforting without being condescending.

The illustrations were so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love love LOOOOOVED that the baby’s room is later filled up with all her drawings. Shows that the parents did not just humor her but actually brought her brother the drawings and kept them for him.

This book has SO MUCH HOPE.

Book is recommended for children ages 4 to 7.

Waiting for Max will be published October 21, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, The Collective Book Studio, Emily Rosen (author), and Esther Diana (illustrator) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.