The New Small Person

Child (the Charlie and Lola books) tackles the new sibling problem with a story about Elmore Green, whose life is wonderful--"Elmore Green's parents thought he was simply the funniest, cleverest, most adorable person they had ever seen"--until his parents bring home someone new. As "it" enters toddlerhood (Elmore can't bear to confer personhood on his brother), he wants to be everywhere Elmore is, and eventually moves right into Elmore's room. "Now Elmore couldn't get away from it. It was always there, looking at him." The Greens are a family of color, and Child draws Elmore's parents as slim, well-dressed torsos and legs, while Elmore has an impressive array of superhero, cowboy, and animal costumes; his sense of order and security is underscored by ivory-colored backdrops lined with his toys, stuffed animals, and beloved orange jelly beans. The selling point is the way Child frames Elmore's growing love for his brother as the active, incremental discovery of the joy of companionship ("It was nice to have someone there in the dark when the scaries were around"), rather than treacly submission to the inevitable. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 2—Elmore Green's life as an only child is sheer bliss. He has his own room, and no one ever changes the channel or messes with his toys. Of course, "Elmore Green's parents thought he was simply/the funniest, cleverest, most adorable/person they/had ever seen." All of that changes when his baby brother is born. Elmore goes from feeling displaced to angry to just wanting to be alone, until one night, everything changes. The characters are people of color and have the same expressive eyes, and Child's mixed-media images are done in the same signature style as in the "Charlie and Lola" series. The large font flows in curves on some pages and is choppy on others, working well with the illustrations to convey the older boy's feelings. The childlike perspective and simple illustrations will make this story a favorite for any kid who has ever been faced with a new sibling or has ha d to learn to share. Preschoolers will enjoy hearing this story, while independent readers will love the big print and colorful, cartoon illustrations. A worthwhile addition to any collection.—Jennifer Simmons, Anderson County Library, SC