Lulu and Zoey: A Sister Story

by Carrie Finison, Bea Jackson (Illustrator)

Overview

A Massachusetts Book Awards Must-Read for 2022!

Sometimes Lulu wants to play, but her big sister Zoey doesn’t. Sometimes Zoey tries to share, but Lulu won’t. Sometimes, it is HARD to get along with a sister! But, sometimes, sisters come together and create something wonderful. This charming story follows the adventures of Lulu and Zoey as they navigate the ups and downs of sisterhood and find there is room in their hearts for each other.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762473984
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	06/07/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Carrie Finison writes and develops fiction and nonfiction writing for educational, textbook, and assessment publishers. Her work includes Dozens of Donuts, Don't Hug Doug and Pigs Dig a Road.
 
Brittany Jackson loves telling stories through her art, from dynamic and diverse character design, to delightfully fun and energetic children's book illustrations. She attended the College for Creative Studies and was the Grand Prize Winner of the L Ron Hubbard's Illustrator of the Future Award in 2007. Her debut illustrated picture book is the New York Times Bestseller, Parker Looks Up, published by Aladdin Books.

Editorial Reviews

Rhythmic rhyming couplets imbue this story with upbeat energy, which is reflected in the dynamic, vibrantly colored single- and double-page–spread digital illustrations. The sisters’ relationship is refreshingly realistic, from power dynamics arising from their age gap to the way shared creative passions can quell conflict…. A simple, heartwarming ode to sisterhood.”—Kirkus Reviews

"A solid choice to add to a school's collection of sibling stories."—School Library Journal

“The illustrations by Jackson are colorful, full of expression, and heartwarming. The soft details and pastel hues bring warmth to the realistic characters. Supportive with a strong family message, this offering is a natural read-alike for Kelly Sterling Lyons’s Ty’s Travels series.”—Booklist

From the Publisher

07/01/2022

PreS-Gr 1—Rhyming text and sweet, expressive illustrations are used to good effect in this gentle story of sibling rivalry. Sisters Lulu and Zoey quarrel, as all sisters do, and end up spending quiet time apart when it all becomes too much, and Aunt Eliza has had "Enough!" Eventually they are on good terms again, sharing cookies, stories, and toys. They realize that "Always sisters have each other, and sometimes sisters have another!" when their parents arrive home with a new baby. Though this is a story only about sisters, children with any older or younger siblings will find something to relate to, and those in families expecting a new baby will begin to realize how their relationships will change when the new baby comes home. The sisters, aunt, and mother have various shades of brown skin, while the father, introduced in the final spread, is white. VERDICT A solid choice to add to a school's collection of sibling stories.—Sue Morgan

School Library Journal

2022-01-25
“Sometimes they fight. Sometimes they’re friends. A sister story never ends.”

Finison and Jackson take a slice-of-life approach to their portrayal of the ups and downs of almost any sibling bond. Lulu and her older sister, Zoey, have their spats (which sometimes turn into physical fights), as sisters do: They find each other’s games annoying and mess with each other’s stuff. But when there are stories to tell and mermaids to draw, they come together once again…and even share the best cookies. Rhythmic rhyming couplets imbue this story with upbeat energy, which is reflected in the dynamic, vibrantly colored single- and double-page–spread digital illustrations. The sisters’ relationship is refreshingly realistic, from power dynamics arising from their age gap to the way shared creative passions can quell conflict. Readers with siblings will surely find echoes of themselves in both characters and take comfort in the fact that the story ends happily. However much these sisters might disagree or get on each other’s nerves, they will always find room in their hearts for each other. And, just maybe, the story’s ending anticipates, for another sister. Zoey has medium brown skin, and Lulu has light brown skin; their mother is Black, and their dad is White-presenting; all female characters have natural hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A simple, heartwarming ode to sisterhood. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews