BUT I WANTED A BABY BROTHER!
by Kate Feiffer & illustrated by Diane Goode
In his one-page autobiography, Oliver Keaton makes it manifest that he wants a baby brother—and he knows he’s getting one. So, when a cherubic baby sister arrives swaddled in pink, he’s convinced it’s a mistake. Even when his parents say baby Julie looks just like him, he isn’t satisfied, because, he deduces, she would then be a he! Oliver decides to replace Julie and spends the next year (and 17 hours) trying to find a suitable swap. No other baby seems quite good enough, smart enough or fun enough. His hopes are further dashed when the room labeled “Change Babies Here” smells so awful he has to flee before trading. Eventually, Oliver resigns himself to enjoying Julie’s good qualities; after all, she’s even learned to throw a ball. But when Oliver’s parents announce another pregnancy…. Feiffer’s text has just the right amount of wry understatement for Goode’s playful watercolors to work with, delivering plenty of chuckles. Together they make a warm-hearted and witty story that will bring families together whether or not they are expecting a new baby. (Picture book. 3-7)