Woodbine House
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1890627712
ISBN-13: 978-1890627713
32 pages, illustrated, ages 3-7
2006
Buy at Amazon or your local bookstore

What’s It About?

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.

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.

What People Are Saying

Preemie Magazine
“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.”

Liza G. Cooper, March of Dimes NICU Family Support National Director
“…sensitive, real and valuable, especially in that the story does not end with an outcome, but with Evan still in the NICU.”

Children’s Bookwatch
“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.”

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

Look! The first lady of Maine read Evan Early at the Maine March of Dimes’ Preemie Project 1372