Waiting for max:
A NICU STORY
Louise can’t wait to meet her new little brother, Max!
But Max was born earlier than expected, and has to stay in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) until he’s strong enough to come home. Waiting is hard—really hard. So big sister Louise uses her BIG imagination to come up with her own creative plans to get Max home.
Inspired by my personal experience with my son in the NICU, this heartfelt picture book helps families navigate a challenging and often overlooked topic with warmth, empathy, and wonder. And at its heart is a reminder that no matter how long it takes, some things truly are worth the wait.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
"A hopeful family story."
– Publishers Weekly
"Relying on straightforward text laden with humorous kid logic, Rosen, the mother of a premature baby herself, reassures readers in situations like Louise’s that their siblings are 'worth the wait.'"
– Kirkus
"A warmly illustrated, heartfelt resource that combines comfort with information. . ."
– School Library Journal
“What an absolutely beautiful portrait of a families’ NICU experience. The illustrations are stunningly accurate and the incorporation of a sibling’s drawings is so in sync with developmental expectations of siblings, i.e. magical thinking and their wanting to understand and sometimes try to make things better. What a gift to NICU families.”
– Vanessa Ya Lopez, NICU Child Life Specialist, Stanford Children’s Hospital
"Emily Rosen handled such a tricky subject with so much warmth, humour and sensitivity."
– Emma Dodd, award-winning and best-selling author and illustrator
"I wish my family had this book when we needed it, but am so happy that it exists now for all the little Louises and their parents who are waiting not-so-patiently!"
– Molly Schaffer, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and NICU Mom
"Waiting for Max is the book that all parents should use when navigating their newborn's time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, especially when there are young siblings at home . . . It removes the fear and uncertainty of the unknown and gives young children solid ground in understanding the newest member of their family."
– James Fritzell Jr., MD, Medical Director NICU and Chairman of Pediatrics, Saint John’s Health Center
READERs’ PRAISE
Published by The Collective Book Studio - Distributed by Simon & Schuster. Available now!
I am donating books, as well as some of the book’s proceeds, to hospital NICUs and other NICU organizations.
EVENTS
Sunday October 19, 3:30 pm Storytime and Launch Event at Diesel, A Bookstore, Santa Monica, CA: RSVP HERE
Saturday October 25, 10 am Storytime at Zibby’s Bookshop, Santa Monica, CA: RSVP HERE
Saturday November 1, 11 am Storytime at Village Well Books & Coffee, Culver City, CA: INFO HERE
Thursday November 6, 11 am Storytime at Copperfield’s Books, Larkspur, CA: INFO HERE
Friday November 14, 10 am Storytime at the Cuyahoga County Library Brooklyn Branch, Cleveland, OH: LINK TO COME
BOOK GUIDE
We’ve created a guide for teachers, librarians and parents who want to dive deeper into the book with their students or kids. It includes discussion questions, a NICU glossary and some fun coloring and writing activities!