Julius, the Baby of the World
(Lilly)

It's the old familiar story of the displaced only child, freshly told and humorously illustrated. Lilly (of Chester's Way Greenwillow, 1988) is a very new, very unhappy big sister. Her parents dote on disgusting little Julius, "the baby of the world," and cannot admire him enough. Lilly, however, annoys them by asking continually when he'll be going away so she can have her room back, and spends more and more time in the "uncooperative chair." When she tries the baby tricks her parents so adore in Julius, they simply remind her to mind her manners. Plainly, there is no longer any justice in the world. Affairs are pretty bleak, until at a large family celebration, a cousin criticizes Julius. Like a tiger, Lilly springs to his defense. Magically, Henkes conveys a world of expressions and a wide range of complex emotions with a mere line or two upon the engaging mousey faces of Lilly and her family. A reassuring, funny book for all young children who suffer from new-sibling syndrome. --Joan McGrath, Education Centre Library, Toronto, Ontario, Canada