The Bestest Big Brother, Ever
Ben Mantle
Walker Books

This is told from the viewpoint of Nano, the younger of two brothers. He and Felix are, so he tells readers, best friends who can read one another’s minds and have some ‘super secret code words’. Sometimes though Felix wants some space of his own, something their Mum agrees with after Nano is so upset at finding himself shut out of the treehouse having spoiled the picture Felix has drawn. However the message he gets when trying again to gain entry to the treehouse, ‘ … Now stop copying me. And stop following me. And just leave me alone!’ could’t be clearer.

Off sets Nano to build his own tree house but the one he makes is far from weatherproof. Nano’s shouts for help go unheeded and as a result, Felix has gone from being the bestest big brother to ‘the WORST big brother.’

Off goes Nano to sulk in his bedroom. Then after a while up comes Felix and what he shows Nano is something TOTALLY GRAPE! – convincing him that after all, he is the bestest brother and his best friend – most of the time.

Ben Mantle’s capturing of a common family situation is pitch perfect; told with gentle humour and some wonderfully whimsical wording such as ‘totally grape’ (really great) and ‘fancy-pants umbrella house!’ His scenes of the ups and downs of the relationship are full of fun details including Nano wearing one sock most of the time, two pigeons having a tug of war over a worm and the child-made boils hanging from a tree branch in the garden. Assuredly a story that will resonate with countless families.