From Publishers Weekly
The spunk of four multiracial pairs of siblings shines through this photographic celebration of sisterhood. The rhyming text, however, is rather uninspired: "Big Sister, Little Sister, a love that is so strong./ Big Sister, Little Sister, best friends all year long." Fortunately, the energetic humor of the photos rubs off once in a while: "Little Sister, eat some snow. It's very clean I think." Typefaces highlight key words, with distinctive shapes and colors; "snow," for example, is blue, with a snowflake in the "o." Throughout, the girls appear in matching outfits, and their faces, too, are near matches, as the girls read, play, draw and even have tantrums. In one of the funniest pictures, a little sister makes a comical grimace, her huge blue eyes rolled up, as her laughing sister sudses her hair. The playful spontaneity of the photos is extended by the book production--published in a horizontal format, with an unjacketed, stamped cover, the volume has the casual appearance of a scrapbook or family album. All ages. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-This sentimental photo-essay alternately depicts four sets of sisters engaged in activities such as running in the woods, picking pumpkins, reading, doing homework, practicing the violin, and making sand angels at the beach. The girls are also shown sharing food, brushing teeth, bathing, and braiding hair. The eye-catching photographs capture moments of energy, creativity, and affection. The book has a formal layout with identically sized photos and rather uninspired rhyming captions: "Big Sister loves to comb and braid my hair./Little Sister skips with me. We make a springy pair!" Occasional words are cleverly illustrated in the context of the sentence and highlighted in colored type: "skips" is written as though the green letters are jumping, and "springy" is bouncing on a spring. The endpapers show all of the pajama-clad siblings piled in one bed on one side and dancing together in dress-up clothes on the other. Overall, the text functions primarily as captions for the pictures. Although this title might have appeal in some family situations, it is not particularly memorable.
Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
