Few people know us as well as our siblings. They see us at our most vulnerable, and they know just how to irritate us—and also how to support us when we most need it. These relationships can be tough to navigate; as usual, kid lit offers a road map. As a child, I loved Judith Viorst’s I’ll Fix Anthony (1969), illustrated by Arnold Lobel, the tale of a put-upon boy fantasizing about outdoing his bullying older brother; I like to think it made me a more empathetic big sister. The following picture books will resonate with young readers, whether they’re older siblings chafing at sharing the spotlight, little ones yearning to be a part of everything their big siblings do, or only children curious about what they’re missing out on.
The cryptic title of Aurore Petit’s My Baby Sister Is a Diplodocus (Gecko Press, March 5), translated from French by Daniel Hahn, eventually becomes clear when the protagonist, frustrated by the arrival of his infant sibling, dons a dinosaur costume. Imagining himself as a powerful carnivore and his sister as a gentle herbivore lets him regain a sense of control. Petit sets a soothing tone while acknowledging her protagonist’s rage and jealousy; readers will be heartened by his gradual but genuine path toward acceptance.
Jack Wong’s All That Grows (Groundwood, March 5) is narrated by a child whose older sister seems to know everything about gardening. But the initially uncertain young protagonist gains confidence after tending to a weedy patch that big sis has given up on—especially when some strange flowers that even she can’t identify begin growing. This is less a story of sibling rivalry and more a contemplative story of a younger sibling quietly carving out a sense of identity. Wong’s hazy, impressionistic illustrations will speak to young gardeners, artists, and dreamers coming into their own.
“You bit my arm. I knocked out one of your teeth.…Out of our whole family, you’re the one who looks like me the most.” Framed as a letter from a girl to her younger sibling, Joana Estrela’s My Sister and Me (Orca, March 12), translated from Portuguese by the same Daniel Hahn, nails the ups and downs of the sororal bond. Estrela’s chaotic, doodlelike art, emblazoned with crayon scribbles courtesy of the narrator’s annoying younger sister, has an intimate, scrapbooklike feeling, while her refreshingly unsentimental text contains words of wisdom: “I’ve realized that sisters isn’t the same thing as friends.…It’s not better or worse…just different.”
Many kids grow up idolizing their big siblings; the narrator of Raymond Antrobus’ Terrible Horses (Candlewick, May 7), illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max, is no exception. The feeling isn’t mutual, however, and after an argument turns physical—these two young brawlers “do not use [their] words”—the protagonist retreats and draws images of strong, fast, but unfeeling horses leaving a lonely young pony behind. This tale captures both siblings’ angst as well as the transformative power of art; the two finally begin to understand each other when the older sister finds her sibling’s drawings.
Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.
