What’s So Bad About Being an Only Child? by Cari Best, illustrated by Sophie Blackall.

Rosemary Emma Angela Lynette Isabelle Iris Malone knows what it feels like to be an only child.  And to her, it feels horrible!  Smothering and lonely at the same time.  She begs for a sibling, sulks for a sibling, but her parents don’t understand what’s wrong with being an only child.  Rosemary struggles with her lack of brother or sisterhood until she meets a turtle at the pond and brings it home.  Soon other animals follow as well and she has a menagerie at home who play with her, argue, share secrets and generally are the family she never had.

Rosemary is a character written and illustrated with such verve and vinegar.  She’s a refreshing change from other little girls in picture books who can be a bit too pink and frilly to read as real.  Rosemary is a true child from her pigtails to her crooked teeth to the glint of frustration in her eye.  The illustrations and the text work well together, creating the pitch-perfect tone here.

While reading the book, I feared that this little girl was going to find a way to have a baby enter her family in one way or another.  So I was happily surprised when she started collecting animals to be her family. 

Immensely fun to read aloud and a joy to share, this book will be loved by children with many brothers and sisters or those with none.  Recommended for ages 5-7.