Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Kopelke has a firm grasp on the situational dramas that unfold in childhood and their potential for humor. Here, quirky caricatures depict two redheaded siblings with lopsided smirks who spend their days planning or escaping from one another's torment while the omniscient cat reacts. (The pet's sympathies lie with the older child.) Helpful tips from this younger brother's guidebook include: secretly switch glasses after your sister makes you a "Mystery Shake," don't follow her suggestion to get the candy out of your nose with bubble gum, and don't run around in underwear in case one is locked outside. The advice is presented as brief sentences on ripped notepaper against highly textured, energetic, acrylic and mixed-media scenes. Although he is younger, this protagonist is clearly not defenseless. Readers in any birth-order slot will take heart at Kopelke's depiction of familial life. Pair this story with David Pelham's Sam's Sandwich (Dutton, 1991) to offer a look at a sister on the receiving end.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Little brother Matt provides fellow younger brothers with eight tips for coping with older sisters. Matt has seen it all--mystery shakes, candy up the nose, photos in compromising outfits, being locked outside in his underwear--and he knows just how to retaliate. With zany mixed-media illustrations, Matt's sibling travails are outlined in a slight but humorous manner. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A little brother dispenses general principles and admonitory advice for getting along--or at least even--with a big sister. From switching glasses when she offers a funny-tasting "Mystery Shake" to thinking twice about running outside wearing only underwear, it all has a distinct flavor of actual family history--reinforced by Kopelke's incorporation of old snapshots into one of her big, simply composed cartoon scenes. Patricia Polacco's My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother (1999) may be stronger on cozy family feeling, but along with such intriguing suggestions as the possibility of blowing bubblegum bubbles out one's nose, this does portray a rambunctious togetherness that emphasizes the adventure of a sibling relationship over its traumas. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
