When I Became Your Brother
Susannah Shane and Britta Tekentrup
Nosy Crow

Written in rhyme that shows tenderness and devotion, and illustrated with gorgeously warm scenes by Britta Teckentrup, this book told from the viewpoint of the older one, celebrates the bond between a brother and his new sibling.
From sunrise to sunset two fox cubs love to spend time exploring their woodland surroundings and playing together. They dash through the fields, play with pinecones

and laugh and leap together beneath the setting sun before snuggling up under the stars. Being an older sibling brings companionship, responsibility for guidance and above all, love.

With its comforting text and sparkling art, this is a book to give a young child when a new sibling arrives in the family.

Some Do, Some Don’t
Dipacho
Mineditions

Dipacho uses jabiru storks in this presentation of individuality. By means of a simple, straightforward text and elegant images of these storks he depicts them in various sizes and in a range of situations starting thus: ‘Some of us have no family’ accompanied by an image of a solitary bird. Turn the page and we see two jabirus flapping, almost dancing and the words ‘Others do.’
Some take off alone to explore what the world has to offer, others stay behind. Some like to be in the company of others, in family groups or more of a crowd; some want solitude. Some live together reluctantly; some are distanced but want to be near another.
Some have families with differences, indeed many do

and sometimes new family members arrive; some in contrast have left for ever. Some jabirus prefer to ‘stick to our own kind,’ whereas others are interested in a variety of types of birds. The author concludes, ‘Some of us fly off and follow our own path. …Actually we all do.’
In eighteen double spreads Dipacho covers almost each and every experience a child may have.
The final page provides three factual paragraphs about jabirus including that they are the second largest birds in the world. I didn’t know that; thanks to this book now I do.