How to be a Baby--by me, the Big Sister
by Sally Lloyd-Jones; illustrated by Sue Heap
Reviewed by Kelly Herold
Being a baby is more complicated than it seems. Fortunately, many babies are born with an older sibling to help them out.
How to be a Baby--by me, the Big Sister is part instruction manual and part manifesto, a manifesto on who’s boss in this new baby-big sister relationship. And our narrator makes it perfectly clear she is from the very first page: “When you’re a baby, you are in a crib and not in school. When you’re a baby, you just wear your pajamas ALL THE TIME and not real clothes.”
The big sister (she appears to be about five or six years old) runs down all the limitations of being a baby to her poor little brother—from the inability to write, to having to ride backwards in his car seat. Fortunately, Sally Lloyd-Jones provides a happy ending for poor baby brother. Big sister writes a list titled “Here’s What Else I’ll Let You Do:”
- Follow me
- Copy me
- Play with my friends (sometimes)
- Sit in my fort and have secrets together
- Learn everything from me so you can be as smart and good at everything as me (almost)
Little brother has a lot to live up to and I imagine a fight or two in the future. Still, Sally Lloyd-Jones gives kids what they like in How to be a Baby--by me, the big sister—lots of lists and a positive spin on siblinghood. Sue Heap’s illustrations are a quirky delight and full of humorous touches.
My favorite pages illustrate Baby Brother’s perceived bad behavior, including tearing “pages out of other people’s favorite books” and scribbling in them. Scribbles adorn the pages indicating Big Sister’s manifesto may not be as persuasive as she hopes.
How to be a Baby is the perfect book for a young child expecting a new sibling. It’ll give them hope and make them laugh at the same time.
Rating: *\*\*\
That sounds great. I like Sue Heap's illustrations. Thanks for the review.
Posted by: jules | March 08, 2007 at 08:18 PM