CHLOË’S BIRTHDAY . . . AND ME

In this sequel to Potter’s successful The Year I Didn’t Go To School (2002), readers discover Giselle and her family in France, on the eve of her little sister Chloe’s birthday. All the while she and her mother are looking for presents for Chloe, Giselle is fiercely wishing it were her day. After all, at five, Chloe does not properly relish all the attention-getting opportunities birthdays possess. Potter’s theme of sibling rivalry and its attendant jealousies is universal; she delicately addresses the nature of sibling relationships, particularly at special times. With a keen wit, she reveals Giselle’s conflicted emotions: Giselle selects presents she would prefer, taunts Chloe about the cake, and, in a final act of defiance, buries—and nearly loses—Chloe’s present in the sand. However, this last close call with outright naughtiness checks Giselle’s jealously, and she ultimately and genuinely celebrates Chloe’s special day. The deeply hued illustrations are an arresting amalgamation of pencil and ink, gouache and watercolors, giving depth and texture to the pages, which have a distinctly European flare. Potter’s tale will be much appreciated by readers of all ages who have suffered the pangs and pleasures of sibling relationships. (Picture book. 4-8)