Tag brotherly love

When I Became Your Brother / Some Do, Some Don’t

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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.

I’m the Biggest / I Can’t Sleep!

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I’m the Biggest
I Can’t Sleep!
Stephanie Blake
Gecko Press

Young rabbit, Simon has now grown considerably – he even stars in his own show on Milkshake 5 ,and here is engaged in a spot of sibling rivalry over the relative increase in height of the two brothers: Casper has grown a full 2 centimetres more than big brother Simon. Needless to say the latter is far from happy, exclaiming “No way,” in response to his Mum’s pronouncement. He even accuses her of giving Casper more food.

Having been chastised by both parents, he’s positively a-boil with fury and swearing revenge.

However, while engaged in a game of footie with his pals in the park later in the day, he spies Casper being bullied by a boy from his class.

‘Serves him right!’ is his initial reaction but then comes a change of heart. Perhaps he is still the BIG brother after all.

Good fun as all Simon titles are, especially for those grappling with being a big brother.

However, I prefer I Can’t Sleep! which I missed first time around. This story focuses on the positive – the comradeship between the two brothers.
Having both spent the day in the garden erecting a ‘MEGA GIGA-NORMOUS’ hut, when it’s bedtime Casper realises that he’s left his special blanket outside in the hut. Needless to say, he can’t possibly sleep without his blanky. It’s time for big brother to don his superhero gear and brave the dark.

It’s cold and damp as his little feet ‘pitter-pat’ run through the night, and pretty scary when he encounters a huge and hungry monster but he makes it back home clutching what he went for

and only too willing to regale his adventure to Casper till morning.

Stephanie Blake’s bold, bright illustrations are deliciously expressive showing just how the characters feel, her language too is enormously engaging and fun. Here she cleverly reveals the way in which big bro. is clearly in charge and little bro. eager to be his pupil.

Brothers Forever

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Brothers Forever
Claudia Boldt
Puffin Books

What do you do when your brother and best friend starts school leaving you to spend a long, gloomy day alone doing the things – cake baking, drawing and playing hide-and-seek – you’ve always done together?

That’s what happens to the small ursine narrator of Claudia Boldt’s new picture book. But that is only the beginning.

Big brother Barney, now calling himself Barnaby, has so many new and exciting ways to pass his time, and interesting new friends to play with, that his little brother is side-lined.

Life just isn’t fun any longer.

Enter new friend, Podgy. This cuddly creature participates in the activities previously shared with Barney,

but the new friendship makes boy narrator and Podgy the object of amusement to big bro. and his pals.

When Barney declines his favourite food one day, our narrator senses something is wrong

and that night he discovers what’s troubling his brother – it’s the thought of his first school trip away from home.

Brotherly love and understanding come to the rescue as both bears realise that no matter what changes life brings, one thing – or rather two – are forever.

Warm, realistic and imbued with gentle humour, this story will strike a chord with siblings especially.