siblings

Review: Shhh! by Valeri Gorbachev

| Tasha

shhh

Shhh! by Valeri Gorbachev

When his baby brother is sleeping, the older brother is very quiet.  He walks on his tippy-toes and doesn’t make any noise.  Of course, this involves getting even the toys to be quiet.  So he has to tell the clown to stop laughing, the knights to stop battling, the tiger to stop growling, the pilot to stop flying, the train to stop rolling, and the pirates to stop firing their cannons.  Happily, when his baby brother wakes up, he can run around, play with his toys, and make plenty of noise.  Until… baby goes to sleep again.

There is no resentment in this book from the older sibling to his baby brother.  Instead the book embraces the differences between awake and nap time in a playful way.  The older brother sees being kind to his little brother as a way to demonstrate how much he loves him.  While parents are present in the book, this is much more about the self-control of a child and his own willingness to help by being quiet.  There are no lectures from parents or even reminders to be quiet.

Gorbachev’s art is colorful and fine-lined.  He sets a playful tone in the book that works well.  When readers are first shown the toys that have to be quiet, they are presented as if they are fully alive and life-sized.  Once the baby is awake, they are shown in their true forms, as toys. 

A positive book about being an older sibling and having to be quiet.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Philomel Books.

Also reviewed by A Picture Book a Day.

Review: Dogs Don’t Eat Jam and Other Things Big Kids Know by Sarah Tsiang

| Tasha

dogs dont eat jam

Dogs Don’t Eat Jam and Other Things Big Kids Know by Sarah Tsiang, illustrated by Qin Leng

Here in this cheerful picture book, an older sister explains to her new baby brother that he has a lot to learn.  She covers things like the potty, learning to walk, and that things fall down (a lot).  She also covers other things that will delight, like the fact the baby has already done something amazing: made her a big sister.  The book is filled with small encouragements and nothing negative towards the baby coming into the family and no jealousy.  Instead it is a celebration of a new baby, the growth that he will see, and the warm adoration of an older sibling.

Tsiang’s writing here is joyful, filled with the small moments that create a growing baby, the milestones and those smaller times that are too often ignored.  She writes with a gentle tone that suits the subject beautifully, tying all of the moments together into one wise older sister’s encouragement for a new baby.

Leng’s illustrations have a great sense of humor and whimsy.  The lines are loose and flowing, filled with bright colors and plenty of white space as well.  

There are so many books about new babies, but this one is definitely worth looking at.  The text and illustrations combine into a noteworthy package that will delight.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Annick Press.

Review: Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker

| Tasha

clementine and the family meeting

Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee

This is the fifth book in the wonderful Clementine series.  In this book, Clementine is very worried because the Family Meeting sign is hung up at home.  She just knows that she has done something wrong again.  So she goes out of her way to demonstrate how kind she is to her little brother, how neat she can be, and how she eats healthy foods.  Clementine is surprised to find out that none of those things are on the agenda, instead their family will have a new addition.  And it’s not the gorilla that Clementine has been asking for.  It’s a new baby!  Clementine knows how she feels about that.  She is not happy at all.  How in the world will their family ever be able to change from the perfection of four people into the odd number of five?

Pennypacker writes Clementine with such a surety and steadiness that readers who have enjoyed the previous books will immediately feel at home between the covers.  Clementine’s family may be changing in numbers, but readers who enjoy the deft parenting, the clever comments, and Clementine herself will be thrilled to know that those things have not changed at all.  In this book, Clementine’s relationship with her younger brother is shown as one of the growth points.  She continues to call him by vegetable names, but their relationship changes and matures too.

Frazee continues to depict a warm and wonderful family that embraces the quirkiness of one another.  From the springing curls on Clementine’s head to the ferocious scowl she gets on her face, Clementine is a vivacious and wonderful character.  My favorite image from the book is where Clementine’s mother and brother are asleep together on the couch with all of his trucks parked around them.  Perfection.

Another stellar addition to the Clementine series.  This is one series that you will want to read in its entirety, because everyone needs a Clementine in their lives.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Review: The Twins’ Blanket by Hyewon Yum

| Tasha

twins blanket

The Twins’ Blanket by Hyewon Yum

Two twin girls look just alike and share everything, especially a blanket that they have had ever since they were born.  But now the blanket has gotten too small for them to share.  Neither girl wants to give it to the other though.  Their mother tells them that they are going to be moving to big kid beds and that she will make each of them a new blanket.  They each pick out a fabric, one yellow with flowers, the other pink with birds and flowers.  They wash the fabric, dry it on the line, and then their mother sews the blankets.  When they are done, they have two new blankets that each have a piece of the original as well as their own personality.  Then they have to see what sleeping apart for the first time is like!

Yum has created a charming story about twins that shows the sibling relationship in all of its complexity, yet remains accessible for small children.  The girls both want to be alike and together, yet yearn to be different and apart at the same time.  Down to their stuffed animals that are alike but different, the story is really about their relationship rather than the blanket which is more of a symbol.

Yum’s illustrations are done in deep, rich colors and strong lines.  They have hints of color in unexpected places, creating an additional richness.  The girls while identical are always seen separately and uniquely in the art.

Charming and honest, this book about twins has a clever storyline and lovely illustrations.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps by Louise Borden

| Tasha

big brothers dont take naps

Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps by Louise Borden, illustrated by Emma Dodd

Nicholas adores his older brother, James.  He follows him everywhere and happily James includes him too.  James can write his own name (as well as Nicholas’), he goes to school, but most importantly, James doesn’t have to take naps!  James can use the phone all by himself, he helps Nicholas cross the road, and can read books too.  James shows Nicholas how to be a great big brother, how to share, and how to do things together.  That includes working together to help pick out a name for their new baby sister.  Which makes Nicholas a big brother too!

Borden writes with a gentleness combined with enthusiasm.  This is a book that captures a very special relationship and shows new siblings a book where everyone is excited by the new baby coming.  James may be a bit too ideal of an older sibling, since there is no negativity shown in this book at all.  But those parents looking for a book that shows siblings sharing and in a loving relationship will find a lot to praise here.

Dodd’s digital illustrations are bright colored and show the brothers relationships vividly.  The large expanses of colors are only outshone by the boys themselves with their bright cheeks and activity. 

A very positive look at siblings and new babies, this book definitely is a great pick for new big brothers and sisters.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by:

Review: The One and Only Stuey Lewis by Jane Schoenberg

| Tasha

one only stuey lewis

The One and Only Stuey Lewis by Jane Schoenberg, illustrated by Cambria Evans

This series of stories are about Stuey’s time in second grade.  Stuey is not a confident kid, often choosing to just not even try before has a chance to fail.  When he starts second grade, Stuey pretends to be sick because he can’t read as well as he thinks he should be able to.  But Stuey is also creative.  When his mother tells him he can only trick-or-treat on their block, he comes up with a cunning plan to get plenty of candy.  But things do go wrong, like when he doesn’t get put on the same soccer team as his  best friend and instead is put on a team with a girl in his class who drives him crazy.  But in the end, it all works out and second grade becomes something that Stuey never wants to end.  After all, who knows what will happen in third grade?!

Schoenberg has written this book at just the right level for young readers.  She has infused the story with humor, making the book very appealing to children.  It also helps that the chapters read almost as separate stories about Stuey, so it can be tackled one chapter at a time.  She also clearly sets the premise for each chapter, creating tension and driving new readers to figure out how the story ends.

Stuey is a very likeable character, filled with doubts and concerns just like any real kid.  He is also inventive, which gets him both in and out of scrapes.  Stuey shows steady growth through the stories and readers will not be surprised to find that he loves second grade by the end, even though the short book started with him dreading it.

Evans’ illustrations are fun-filled and friendly.  The black-and-white images do a lot to break up the text into more readable pieces. 

A great pick for readers who are leaving the beginning readers and ready to tackle chapter books.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar Straus Giroux.

Also reviewed by:

Book Review: Bear with Me by Max Kornell

| Tasha

bear with me

Bear with Me by Max Kornell

Owen had a great life before Gary showed up.  One day his parents just showed up with a big bear.  They said they had always wanted a bear.  But Owen didn’t want a bear at all.  Gary was going to sleep in Owen’s room, share Owen’s toys, and live with them as part of their family.  Now his parents were busy with Gary and Gary snored when he slept!  He even left the covers off the markers so they dried out and broke the swing in the backyard.  Owen finally had enough and went outside by himself.  Gary found him there and slowly, slowly the two of them became friends.  Perhaps having a bear join the family wasn’t as bad as Owen had thought.

Kornell writes with a wry sense of humor that works very well here.  The use of an intruding bear as a stand-in for a new sibling works well in his hands.  He keeps the text straight-forward but humorous.

The illustrations add much to the book.  They are done in an intriguing style of cut-paper that has been drawn on and then added to the scenes.  Each character is often their own cut out on a background that is one large sheet.  The lines are simple and the colors bright.  Gary is a wonderfully large bear that is completely non-threatening and looks just as worried as Owen.

Ideal for blended families or new adoptive siblings, this book has loads of appeal.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

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Book Review: Emma Dilemma by Kristine O’Connell George

| Tasha

emma dilemma

Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems by Kristine O’Connell George, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Told from the point of view of the older sister, these poems show the intricacies of relationships between sisters.  Emma can be a very embarrassing little sister, especially at ball games where she is the one dressed in a feather boa and cheering loudly using Jessica’s name.  Emma copies everything Jessica does, but her hand also fits perfectly in Jessica’s when they hold hands.  Jessica is often the only one who understands what Emma is saying.  Emma can be naughty, stealing shoes, scaring people, filling Jessica’s room with loops of yarn.  But there are also the moments when the sisters connect over pet rocks, picture books, and jokes.  The climax of the story comes when Emma tries to reach Jessica and one of her friends when they are in a treehouse.  Emma falls and breaks her arm, and there is no doubt these sisters adore one another.

George captures the ins and outs of siblings with a skilled eye.  The book shows the complexity of the relationship, both the good and the bad, often right alongside each other.  Neither sister is the good or bad one, they are simply themselves.  The book’s tone is just right as well, never too dramatic or over the top.  Instead these are moments from what feel like real days, captured in poetry.  The touches of humor add to the appeal of the book as well.

Carpenter’s illustrations exude a warmth that works so well here.  Done in pen and ink and digital media, they retain their hand-drawn style with the bright washes of digital ink.  Each illustration is a picture of the lives of the characters, they reveal the emotions going on in that moment with a great clarity.

Highly recommended, this is a book of poems that any child with siblings will see themselves in and enjoy.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by Young Readers.

Tall Story: A Magical Giant of a Book

| Tasha

tallstory

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Andi is a very petite 13 year old and has just found out that she won’t be able to play point guard on her school basketball team, because her family is moving.  The move from their small apartment to a larger home will hopefully allow her older brother, Bernardo, to join their family at last.   But there is no basketball team for girls at Andi’s new school and when her brother does arrive, he is a giant!  Bernado feels very guilty leaving the Philippines and his small village behind.  Over the years, he has become an almost folk hero for his village, where he is credited with stopping the daily earthquakes.  Now he and Andi have to figure out how to be siblings to one another, what family means, and how basketball plays into it all.  This is a funny, touching and heartwarming story that has a great depth to it as well.

The novel is written from both Bernardo’s and Andi’s points of view, allowing readers to relate to both protagonists.  This also underscores their different attitudes about family and their relationship with one another.  The book weaves magic into a realistic story in a way that will have readers convinced that there is magic at work, yet able to also think it may simply be coincidence.  It is very subtly crafted.

This book deals with deep subjects of culture, family and belonging.  At the same time, it remains upbeat and celebratory of our diversity.  This is a book that would work well as a classroom discussion thanks to its natural depth and its positive attitudes.  There is plenty here to discuss that is timely and relevant to any community.

Highly recommended, this is a book that will put a smile on your face and warm your heart.  Appropriate for ages 10-13.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

You can check out the book trailer below:

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