Big Sister, Little Sister

by LeUyen Pham, LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

Overview

The Big one gets new clothes.
The Little one gets hand-me-downs.
The Big one does everything first.
The Little one is always catching up
But the little one can do some things well, and can even teach the older one a thing or two?.

Big sisters and little sisters alike will agree: this is a sassy and touching celebration of sisterhood for all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786851829
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	07/27/2005
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.88(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

New York Times bestselling illustrator and Caldecott Honor winner LeUyen Pham has created over ninety books for children, including Sheep 101, The Princess in Black series with Shannon and Dean Hale, Freckleface Strawberry with Julianne Moore, and her own The Bear Who Wasn't There.

Editorial Reviews

With generous dollops of humor and insight, Pham portrays a little girl who delineates the differences between her older sister and herself. Swimming in a huge, puffy-sleeved polka dot dress, she grouses, "The Big Sister gets all the new clothes. I'm the Little Sister. I get all her old clothes." Pen-and-ink vignettes express all the nuances of this sweet-and-sour relationship, from squabbling over a messy room to sharing scary stories while safely tucked in bed. (ages 4 to 6)
Child magazine's Best Children's Book Awards 2005

In the first book she has both written and illustrated, Pham (Can You Do This, Old Badger?) lends a fresh and funny perspective to the pros and cons of being second in the birth order. "The Big Sister usually does things first," says the pigtailed, mischievously chubby, narrator of her girly, schoolmarmish elder. "I'm the Little Sister. I'm always catching up." Although the text is straightforward and familiar in its compare-and-contrast observations ("The Big Sister is very neat. I'm the Little Sister. I'm not"), the book comes alive in Pham's full-page and spot illustrations, created with Japanese brush pen-and-ink and set amid fields of crisp white space. The bold, accomplished brush strokes, washes of predominantly sepia and rose colors, and cheeky characterizations make every vignette bristle and bounce with comic energy. The scenes of sibling collaboration, which often turn treacly in books of this ilk, are every bit as winning as those of sibling conflict. Whether depicting the big sister shielding the little one's eyes from a kissing scene on TV or the little one defiantly smeared with her sister's lipstick ("I'm the little sister. I can't wear lipstick and I'll never be older"), Pham has beautifully captured the touch-and-go affection that is a verity of sibling life. Ages 4-8. (July) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2-An impish child laments: "I'm the Little Sister. I'm always catching up." She relates such indignities as wearing hand-me-downs and having to go to bed at 7:30. Her poised, freckle-faced sibling plays the piano, balances a book on her head, and "thinks she's always right." The relationship does have its perks: "The Big Sister tells all the good stories!" and she "watches out for me." Japanese brush pen-and-ink illustrations with splashes of digitally produced red, pink, and brown show big sis leading the way on a nighttime trip to the bathroom, covering her young charge's eyes from smooching scenes on TV, and performing an impromptu sock-puppet show. Readers will be charmed by the little girl's simply stated truths, and the expressive drawings capture petulant frowns, looks of concentration (with tongue sticking out), and satisfied grins. With warmth and good humor, the ups and downs of sisterly love are perfectly conveyed.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Illustrator Pham's first foray into writing illuminates the complex and compelling world of sisterhood. With an air of nonchalance, a younger sibling narrates, discussing conspiratorially with readers the disparity between herself and her older sister. Through the youngster's saucy little speeches, Pham adeptly conveys the feelings that close connection to another individual evoke. At the tale's outset, the younger girl clearly delineates the many differences that set the two apart. However, as it progresses, Pham's expressive brush pen-and-ink illustrations slowly reveal the other side of the story, illustrating the caring that flows between the two. The digitally produced color enlivens the pages with splashes of pure hues, and its not-quite-perfect placements actually fit in with the energy of the illustrations. Pham's depictions of the sisters are full of character and vibrancy; the spunky little sister with her outrageously red cowboy hat and the more refined older sister will resonate with many sibling pairs, young or old. Pham offers a frothy fun tale that at its heart shows the depth and breadth of these relationships as something to be cherished. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews