Twin Cities Business Listing

Stephanie Watson is a local author and illustrator of children’s books. She grew up in the Twin Cities. Besides hanging out at her local library, she acted in several Children’s Theatre productions. Watson’s popular Elvis and Olive books are middle grade chapter books. She has also written two picture books. Schools and other groups can hire Watson for student workshops.

Books By Stephanie Watson

Click the titles to find the books on Amazon.*

• Behold! A Baby
• The Wee Hours
• Elvis & Olive
• Elvis & Olive: Super Detectives

Bookhounds Invites Stephanie Watson

Bookhounds invited Stephanie Watson for a visit in May of 2016. The following are excerpts from that interview:

Stephanie Watson is a native Minnesotan who grew up immersing herself in stories:  reading, watching TV, acting in Children’s Theatre Company shows and spending lots of time at the library.  She is a local author who teaches writing classes and does picture book critique work as well.

Most importantly, she is happy to be a soul parent. (Trust me, it’s most definitely soul and not sole–her heart and humor is two sizes too big)

She and her 7 year old daughter (who shares my birthday!) live in Minneapolis.

We are pumped to have Stephanie on BookHounds this month as she is a dynamic mama with a really cool job.  She talks about what it’s like to be an author and how they foster reading in their home.

For more information, see the Show Notes below.

BookHounds Episode 5: Behold! A Baby by Stephanie Watson

April 29, 2016

Show Notes: Behold! A Baby

Written by Stephanie Watson, Illustrated by Joy Ang
Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Why I Liked Behold! A Baby

• Heartwarming topic and solution
• The big brother has a deep change of heart.  It won’t be for long and it’s more toward his role in the family than toward his brother.

How to Read Behold! A Baby

• Use four different types of voices. Speak quickly, slowly, loudly and quietly.
• Have kids hold a doll or stuffed animal and behave like a big sibling
• Stand as you read the book, like a ringmaster.
• Use very exaggerated expressions

Activities for Behold! A Baby

• Make an obstacle course with blocks and other toys for the “baby” to crawl through.
• Eat bananas
• Make up a secret language
• Have kids write notes to each other about why they love each other.

Questions to ask about Behold! A Baby

• What do you think Big Brother was feeling?
• When did his feelings change?
• Do you think he will always like his little brother?
  

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Behold! A Baby Book Review and Parental Guidance

Reviewed by Joy Peters
June 1, 2015

Stephanie Watson’s book, Behold! A Baby, came out in June of 2015 with a Launch Party at the Red Balloon.  The timing of this book could not have been more perfect for me since the excitement of a new baby had worn thin and my older children were feeling slightly neglected. Even the 10-year-old was done with the whole crying thing. The preschool boys needed to be watched carefully because jealousy would pop up at weird times and even when they were trying to be playful they were often too rough. So, with a slight gender adjustment (the baby in the story is a boy and we had a girl), we’ve made this story into our own.

Until I became a parent, I would have been among the people who rolled their eyes at parents of new babies. It’s hard to understand that babies are amazing little creatures until you have one. They are so helpless the day they are born and each little milestone is just a heart-bursting miracle for the parents. For little ones, who are still on their own amazing journeys, the amount of attention a baby receives can seem downright ridiculous. Who cares that she eats a banana? Now that’s just something else they have to share.

With very few words, Ms. Watson (with the help of illustrator Joy Ang) captures the less positive feelings of my boys towards their sister and then helps them look at the good parts of having a baby. Watson’s story empowers them into BIG BROTHERS! Look at all the ways they can help. I don’t know what it is about older siblings, but they really are able to interpret for the younger ones much quicker than the adults are able to catch on. This is a book we re-read often during this rough transition.

If you’ve ever tried to find a book to help a child through a particular milestone by ordering them from a library search, you know that there are some awful books out there written by child experts, not children’s writers. Stephanie Watson is a children’s writer, who happens to faithfully capture this childhood milestone in her book.  Behold! A Baby would make an ideal big brother gift.

FFTC received an advance copy of Behold! A Baby to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own; and the ideal timing was coincidental. *This post also contains affiliate links. FFTC receives a small commission on purchases through our Amazon affiliate link.