A heart tugging story of a sister waiting for her baby brother from the hospital. While she is waiting, what is she thinking and doing? It's all in this great book on NICU. I love how she draws her dreams of here and her baby brother's adventure as she waits for his homecoming. Then surprise, he's home. Go get this book if you can.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous!
The story is beautiful and I love that it focuses on the sibling. While hospitalized children and babies are going through so much, that tends to be the focus and then it shifts to the stress of the parents, but often times the affects on the siblings can be more easily overlooked. I love how it shows the sister making plans to help baby escape and come home. It’s really cute and really well done!
I have already sent this to a few friends and recommended it when it gets released. Thank you so much for sharing with me!

I was this because of how relatable it was. My first (and only) son, was also born 6 weeks early and had to spend a week in the NICU. While that is a much smaller number than most children in the NICU, it was so hard coming home without a baby. We went everyday, multiple times a day to cuddle, feed and enjoy our new bundle of joy. My husband and I talk about how much love and support we received from everyone in the NICU, and in all honesty, it was like they were guiding us to parenthood. There were gifts, advice and assistance in the best care we can give with a babes covered in cords (iykyk). While I wished that we could've taken him home after our stay, I was gratefully for all the love from the NICU staff.

While this sounds sad, it's not, we were able to bring him home after a weeks stay and it's been quite a rollercoaster since then.

This was a very cute book about a big sister waiting for her new little brother to come home from the NICU. It gave some very simple explanations about why he can't come home yet and the different things that he needed to do to come home. The illustrations were also SO cute

Overall Vibe/Feeling: emotional, hopeful, informative, inspiring, lighthearted, and fast-paced
Content Warning: Moderate = Medical content
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Star Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC!

I loved the art style of this book so much, and it’s very informative for big siblings of a baby born premature or high-risk. It’s lighthearted and gentle, not buying into the anxiety of the reality of the situation. It’s very sweet and wonderfully done. It has just enough information for the intended audience, to help parents or caregivers explain what can be a very scary and stressful times for families. The little details really made this book so charming and inspiring. My favorite part had to be the end where the drawings were showcased for the baby. I would definitely recommend this for any parent, but especially for those in this situation. Wishing the best to all those families past, present, and future, that they may bring home their baby healthy! 🥰

Waiting for Max


A little girl is eager to meet her new baby brother and finds it hard to wait for him to come home. He is in the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit, because he was born early and needs to gain weight and strength before coming home. She finds a way to make her waiting easier using her busy imagination.

This book fills a need. It is factual and comforting, and not hard for children to understand. It is a sweet way to discuss a difficult topic. The book would be a fine addition to a children’s collection in a public library or a school library.

I loved, loved, LOVED this sweet book - it is totally meeting a need for children in the unique position of being a NICU sibling! I will undoubtedly share this with my NICU nurse, child life specialist, and social worker friends. The illustrations were adorable and I loved Louise’s persistence in getting her brother home - she is already a great big sister:)

Louise has been waiting for months to be a big sister. But now her new baby brother isn't strong enough to come home from the hospital and she has to wait even longer to meet him. This sweet picture book helps explain the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to little children. In this story, the young child sees pictures and videos of her new brother in his incubator. As Louise asks questions, young readers learn a little more about their new sibling or relative who is in the NICU. I love the elutriations which not only show Louise, but include all the crayon pictures that she sends to her baby brother. This book is a must have for any family who has a youngster waiting to meet their new sibling.

ARC Review:

Waiting for Max: A NICU Story is the perfect book to help kids understand the importance of having a sibling in the NICU. It helps older siblings understand why they may have to wait for a sibling to come home.

This book not only has a great story, but it also contains vibrant and beautiful images that add so much imagery to the book!

This was such a sweet read. My NICU baby just turned 1 this year. He was born six weeks early; it was so hard to explain the concept to my five-year-old... This book would have been perfect. 5 out of 5 stars. My heart feels so warm and happy after finishing this book.

Waiting for Max is an absolutely adorable and heartwarming story that I truly love. It beautifully captures the emotions of a young child eagerly awaiting the arrival of her baby brother, who is in the NICU. What makes this book so special is how Louise, the big sister, draws pictures and makes plans to help bring Max home. It's tender, creative, and full of love.

What I learn from this book is that it teaches the kid how to be patient. And being a big sister is an exciting experience for a little girl! The book's illustrations are so cute and vibrant as well as the story. I would recommend it to anyone that has young kids.

This book was a little too brief. I really liked the topic because I don’t think I have any books about siblings. where one is in the NICU. I enjoyed the illustrations and the idea of it, but I wish the story was a little longer.

I am a big sister and remember my sibling being born very clearly. Luckily we had no issues but if there had been problems such as a NICU visit I know i would have been very scred and confused. A book like this would have been so useful in that situation and I'm sure it will bring comfort to a lot of scared older siblings in years to come. Great message and we loved reading it together :)

A great book to help explain to your child at home why your newborn needs to stay in the hospital after delivery. My young nephew loved the artwork and is now asking his mother for another sibling. Haha.

What a wonderful book — especially for families who find themselves in the situation that Louise’s family was in where the younger sibling is in the NICU with an older sibling unable to visit. This gives children the chance to learn and better understand what a hospital looks like and even more precisely, what a NICU looks and sounds like. It helps children to understand what it’ll be like to wait to meet their sibling who can’t come home yet and to give them something fun and constructive to do in the wait.

Louise’s ideas for getting Max out of the hospital were previous and having her final plan be the actual way he got out of the NICU made me cry! When Louise shouted “I DID IT!” you better believe those tears started falling.

These are the complex and very real situations children find themselves in and with so much going on I’m sure those older siblings can feel lost in the shuffle. “Waiting for Max” is such a wonderful resource parents, schools, and public libraries can use to help the older siblings through it! Thank you to Emily Rosen for the lovely story and Esther Diana for the beautiful illustration. Additional thanks to Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my opinion.

Long live Super Milk Baby!

This is an awesome and very heartwarming book! There definitely aren't enough kids' books out there that are about the NICU, so I greatly appreciate that this book was something fresh and different. Additionally, it is so important for little ones to have a basic understanding of the NICU, whether it affects them personally or not. This book did a fantastic job of making the NICU seem less confusing or scary, without having the reader get lost in the weeds.
Another thing that I liked about this book might seem like a small detail, but it means a lot in the big picture. Louise's curiosity, understanding, and kindness throughout the book sets such a good example for young readers, which is always great.
Lastly, what I really appreciated about the illustrations were Louise's drawings within them. The overall book had a colorful and youthful look to it, but the illustrator made Louise's drawings look exactly like how any kid's crayon drawings would look. In short, it was a cute and fun touch, and I truly admire the illustrator's attention to detail.
Bravo!

This is a very special book about how being in the NICU can be so difficult for big siblings. From not being able to visit to understanding why baby cannot come home I found this book touched on so many aspects of NICU life. I found the way Louise wanted to help Max very endearing and I may have teared up at big sister finally being reunited with little brother. A must read book for NICU families.

This is a beautiful children’s book. I think hospitals should have this on hand for any parent who has older children. It is a great way to introduce the NICU and help introduce the conversation to siblings.
Very well done.

This was so sweet! As someone interested in the healthcare field, I thought it would be fun to see a medical phenomenon from the eyes of a child. And it really was! Louise only knew that her little brother, Max, was still at the hospital after being born because he had to wait until he was bigger and stronger. At first, Louise, thought he was in a "plastic box," so she sent him drawings with ideas on how to come home. I loved how the story progressed and how cute Louise's thought process was. The ending was so precious and sweet. And I loved the art!