Yay for Big Brothers!

by Janet Halfmann, Shennen Bersani (Illustrator)

Overview

Big brothers are amazing! Did you know that big brothers are important in animal families, too? Animal big brothers do many of the same things as kid big brothers. They play with their younger siblings, teach them new things, and help with their care. Sometimes animal big brothers even babysit when their parents leave to hunt for food. Are you a big brother or do you have a big brother?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643518220
Publisher:	Arbordale Publishing
Publication date:	09/10/2021
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.27(w) x 9.76(h) x 0.16(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

2021-07-28
An animal book focusing on big brothers offers reflection questions for older siblings to ponder.

A human big brother and his younger sibling, both presenting White, leaf through a book (readers will note it is the book they are holding) to learn about big brothers of other species. Several animals, including naked mole rats, hoary marmots, and beavers, are presented in successive double-page spreads. One to three sentences of information appear on verso, with one question for readers on recto. Some of the questions are open-ended, asking kids to consider how big brothers help younger siblings stay safe. Other queries are straightforward, asking about eating preferences and favorite games after sharing facts about the crow and kangaroo, respectively. While the title speaks to brothers, presumably older siblings of any gender would revel in answering. Illustrations present each animal family like paper dolls. The vibrantly colored animals have slightly anthropomorphic eyes and lie flat on the landscape of their natural environment. While this style doesn’t necessarily command attention, it presents images cleanly. The predictable rhythm and simple visuals are soothing and allow for focus on the discussion questions posed in each spread. Racial diversity is present in an ensemble spread of human sibling pairs. However, each one of these shares exact skin tone and hair texture between the two, homogenizing their seen identities.

Serviceable. (glossary, charts, facts) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews