“I stretch my hand out to touch Evan Early’s tiny one. His dandelion stem fingers curl around mine.”

(as Rebecca Hogue Wojahn)
Illustrations by Ned Gannon
32 pages, Ages 3-7
Sadly, out of print; please contact me if you’d like to buy a copy

Natalie’s happy anticipation of the birth of her brother turns to worry and confusion when he is born prematurely. To help ease her mind, Natalie’s father gives her a calendar to color in the days as they wait for Evan to come home.

Reviews

“Prematurity can be a stressful time for other siblings in the family, especially if they are young children, since they are often excluded from the NICU due to health concerns. This books is a useful tool for bridging the gap between sibling and preemie, even before the preemie comes home for the first time. Waiting is hard on everyone, but author Rebecca Hogue Wojahn tries to make it a little easier for siblings of preemies by gently explaining what the fuss of the NICU is all about.”

–Preemie Magazine

“…sensitive, real and valuable, especially in that the story does not end with an outcome, but with Evan still in the NICU.”

–Liza G. Cooper, March of Dimes NICU Family Support National Director

“An outstanding picturebook for children ages 4 to 8…a prized addition to any school or community library picturebook collection, Evan Early is especially recommended to the attention of parents anticipating the birth of a little sibling for their older child who will no longer be an only child when their little sibling arrives.”

–Children’s Bookwatch

“Reassures children that they are not alone and portrays just enough suggestion of the NICU medical setting to satisfy young readers’ curiosity.”

–Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association NewsNetwork

Why I Wrote THIS Story

Although I’ve never had a child born prematurely, there’s a lot of me in this book. Both my kids have had health complications where the outcomes were unknown. Like Natalie, all I could do was wait.

When one of my friends had her baby very early, I wanted to give her older son something to help him understand. Being a librarian, I immediately thought of a book. But there wasn’t a lot out there that was very current. So I decided to try writing one myself.