Big Sister, Little Sister [Hardcover]

LeUyen Pham (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2005 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The Big one gets new clothes. The Little one gets hand-me-downs. The Big one does everything first. The Little one is always catching up But the little one can do some things well, and can even teach the older one a thing or two…. Big sisters and little sisters alike will agree: this is a sassy and touching celebration of sisterhood for all ages.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–An impish child laments: I'm the Little Sister. I'm always catching up. She relates such indignities as wearing hand-me-downs and having to go to bed at 7:30. Her poised, freckle-faced sibling plays the piano, balances a book on her head, and thinks she's always right. The relationship does have its perks: The Big Sister tells all the good stories! and she watches out for me. Japanese brush pen-and-ink illustrations with splashes of digitally produced red, pink, and brown show big sis leading the way on a nighttime trip to the bathroom, covering her young charge's eyes from smooching scenes on TV, and performing an impromptu sock-puppet show. Readers will be charmed by the little girl's simply stated truths, and the expressive drawings capture petulant frowns, looks of concentration (with tongue sticking out), and satisfied grins. With warmth and good humor, the ups and downs of sisterly love are perfectly conveyed.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. The illustrator of Eve Bunting's Little Badger books (and others) debuts as author in a charming appreciation of the special bond between sisters. Pham writes from the younger child's perspective about hand-me-downs, activities in which big sis invariably calls the shots, and other sibling bugaboos ("I'm the Little Sister. I'm always catching up"). But at times, of course, Big Sister is a big help, as when the nighttime route to the bathroom proves too terrifying to brave alone. Pham's medium is ink applied with a Japanese brush pen, conferring a sprightly, spontaneous look to her figures, which are reminiscent of David Small's work; digitally added color in yummy hues of strawberry, caramel, and chocolate belies the sweetness underlying even moments of tension. The text never rises much above greeting card sentiment, but one can easily imagine big and little sisters--grown-ups and children--giggling together over its many tender truths. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (July 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786851821
• ISBN-13: 978-0786851829
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Values

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Darlings, August 29, 2005

By 

I. Branch - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Sister, Little Sister (Hardcover)

The illustrations are great. The girls are so expressive. Maybe I like it also because they remind me of my 2 daughters who aren't always the best of friends but the respect is there and that shows in this book too.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book-- one of our favorites, April 12, 2007

By 

D. Smith - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Sister, Little Sister (Hardcover)

We ended up owning this book after we were forced to buy it from the library when my second daughter destroyed some of the pages. Initially I was annoyed, but it quickly became everyone's favorite book (despite the ripped pages).

The book really captures the essence of the little/big sister relationship. Now that my second daughter is the BIG sister she likes it even more. She can relate to both the big and little sister aspects of it, while my eldest and youngest daughters also enjoy seeing themselves through Pham's characters.

Pham's illustrations really capture the personalities of the sisters in the book and the nuances in their relationship. The text is short enough for younger children and engaging enough for older ones. My oldest enjoyed this book when she became a big sister at age 2. I would say this is engaging and entertaining for children ages 18 months to around 5 or 6 (when read with a little sister). Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth About Sisters, March 1, 2008

By 

K. Oppido - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Sister, Little Sister (Hardcover)

I am 24 years old and have a sister who is 10 years old. I bought this book for her on her 10th birthday and we loved reading it together. From beginning to end this book expresses the love between sisters and sibling rivalry! Even with such a large age gap my little sister refuses to surrender to the idea that she just isn't allowed to do the same things as me. This is a book for all ages and is a wonderful keepsake for any sister out there. The illustrations display the unique personalities of each character and make the book even more enjoyable.

I am a teacher and I use this book in my classroom. This is only one of the many books I read to my students about family. The kids absolutely love it because it relates to their own lives. When we are done reading and discussing the book the class creates a survival guide for having a sibling. The kids find it fun and useful for getting out of any sticky situation they may get into with their own brother or sister.