GERALDINE'S BABY BROTHER

From the author of Geraldine's Blanket (1984) and Geraldine's Big Snow (1988), comes another story featuring the little piglet and her new baby brother. At first, Geraldine doesn't like baby Willie. But in the middle of the night, Geraldine confronts the baby and forbids him to cry. He makes some baby faces, and Geraldine actually laughs. Then she reads him some stories and falls asleep. In the morning, she has a slightly warmer feeling towards her new sibling and even asks if she can give him his bottle. The plight of the older child when faced with a new baby in the family is a common enough experience; here it is treated with wit and humor. Geraldine is allowed to have her feelings, and by the end of the book, they have altered somewhat, though not completely. Keller deftly avoids a sugar-coated ending in which Geraldine is wholly converted. Instead, readers are shown that the acceptance of a new family member takes time. The whimsical line drawings add to the overall charm. A wise, funny, accepting little book. (Picture book. 4+)