IT’S NOT FAIR!

Here’s another entry into the sibling-rivalry pantheon, made different only by the quick understanding of the younger sibling’s issues by his big sister and McQuillan’s genuinely appealing illustrations. The older of two adorable kittens relates many examples of feeling that her baby brother gets away with anything. The complaints are the usual ones—getting in trouble for making a mess or being too noisy. Midway through the story, she realizes the number of instances when she’s allowed to do something that her brother isn’t because he’s too little. She lists many familiar complaints from younger siblings in her empathetic recounting of her brother’s situation. The quick turnaround on her part is rather abruptly introduced, and the natural transition period between jealousy and sympathy is not shown. The pictures are great fun with soft, colorful pages showing skewed perspectives, humorous touches and a plethora of anthropomorphized animals. (Picture book. 3-6)