Olive the alien by Katie Saunders

Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760066031
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Humour, Babies, Offspring Siblings. A sequel to Olive Marshmallow, this is about Archie getting used to his new baby sister, Olive. Sometimes she is quite confusing. She cries a lot of the time, and speaks her own language which Archie cannot understand. Sometimes she cries for no reason at all, and other times falls asleep unexpectedly. Archie thinks she may be from outer space, an alien. And sometimes her habits are quite disgusting. She makes an appalling mess and can produce smells that are off the radar. But one day his cousin William comes over and gives Archie a completely different perspective on his sibling. William loves all her toys and is envious of Archie. William can speak to Olive in her own language. He tells Archie that she is a baby and this is what babies do. After that Archie joins in with Olive. He cries with her, talks in her language and makes a mess just like she does.
Younger readers will laugh out loud at the antics of the baby, remembering incidents from their own family life.
This charming story will entreat all readers, particularly those with a new baby sister or brother, showing them what a baby does in the home, and giving the reader some clues about how to cope with the changes in his family. The lovely illustrations illuminate the story perfectly, the soft colours reflecting the warmth and comfort of a happy family, coping with a new arrival.
Fran Knight