Review by Booklist Review
"In a nice reversal of the usual new baby/sibling rivalry story, a young cat is furious that her new baby brother gets all the attention. What about me? she demands. It's not fair! People are always doing things for the baby, but she has to do things for herself. The bright, double-page spreads show her fuming at her displacement at home and, then, when the family goes out and she has to walk, while the baby rides. But as the baby gets a little older, he is frustrated that he can't have fun like his sister does: he is not allowed to slide down the hill in the snow, or go to playgroup, or play with her friends, or stay up later, and when he starts to talk, he says, It's not fair! No heavy messages here. The warm family scenarios are a great setting first for the girl's rage and then for the turnaround, as she realizes how much fun it is to be independent."--"Rochman, Hazel" Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Books that address sibling rivalry are already abundantly available, but It's Not Fair! manages to offer a fresh perspective on the theme. The heroine of this story is a young kangaroo, who is acutely sensitive to the injustices her parents perpetrate when they treat her new brother differently from her. ``If he makes a mess, it's all right,'' she complains. ``If I make a mess, I get into trouble. That's not fair!'' When he grows up a little, however, little brother gets his comeuppance, to his sister's infinite satisfaction. ``When I go to playgroup, my brother wants to go too,'' she says gleefully, ``but he can't. He doesn't think that's fair at all.'' The point is well taken, and Hellard's watercolors are expressive and evocative. For a change, this book addresses the woes of the generally much-maligned younger sibling as well as those of the dethroned senior. (1-5) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3 Older sister resents the attention that her newborn brother receives. He is fed and carried and excused for his screams and mishaps. She feels jealous, hurt, confused, and angry. When younger brother gets a little bigger, and realizes that older sister can walk in the rain, go to playgroup, stay up late, and go to parties, he feels jealous, hurt, confused, and angry. The universal theme of sibling rivalry, coupled with funny kangaroo characters, will easily capture children's interest. They will secretly taunt, ``It's not fair!'' and applaud the kangaroo characters' protests. The simple storyline provides amusement and catharsis for children who have experienced their own versions of sibling rivalry. It is complemented with full-page, softly colored, cartoon-like watercolors that capture the characters' emotions and match the light, humorous mood of the story. Comparable to Blume's The Pain and the Great One (Bradbury, 1984), this title will hold the same appeal for a younger audience. Janice L. Amicone, Downington Area School District, Uwchland, Pa. (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 Kirkus Book Review
Here's another entry into the sibling-rivalry pantheon, made different only by the quick understanding of the younger sibling's issues by his big sister and McQuillan's genuinely appealing illustrations. The older of two adorable kittens relates many examples of feeling that her baby brother gets away with anything. The complaints are the usual ones--getting in trouble for making a mess or being too noisy. Midway through the story, she realizes the number of instances when she's allowed to do something that her brother isn't because he's too little. She lists many familiar complaints from younger siblings in her empathetic recounting of her brother's situation. The quick turnaround on her part is rather abruptly introduced, and the natural transition period between jealousy and sympathy is not shown. The pictures are great fun with soft, colorful pages showing skewed perspectives, humorous touches and a plethora of anthropomorphized animals. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
