My Big Brother (HC) [Hardcover]

Miriam Cohen (Author), Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A little boy idolizes his older brother. So when his big brother leaves for the army, the boy has some very big shoes to fill.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In this quietly compelling story, a boy idolizes his older sibling and tries to imitate him in everything, from learning basketball to helping to fix his old car to giving their mama compliments. Because college costs too much, the big brother joins the army, resulting in feelings of pain and loss for the family members left behind. However, the narrator carries on, helping his younger brother shoot baskets, complimenting Mama on Sundays, and trying to fill the huge void left by his eldest sibling's absence. The spare, heartfelt text is eloquent in expressing the characters' feelings of pride and sadness. The soft, watercolor illustrations complement the narrative perfectly as the members of this African-American family try to continue with their routines, cope with the absence of a loved one, and hold on to one another until he returns. The last page, showing the sad boy leaning on his brother's car with the text, "I miss him," is powerful in its understatement. This book addresses a universal theme and will have meaning for many families struggling to fill voids of their own.-Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 2. This begins as a portrayal of brotherly love, with a much older brother showing his younger brother (perhaps seven or eight) how to play basketball, how to wash a car, how to treat their mama right. The story takes a turn, though, when the older brother goes into the army ("college costs a lot"). The younger boy takes over the "older brother" role by showing his little brother how to do the same things and more. Together with their mother, they make cookies to send their older brother and look at the photograph of him in his uniform. Told in the middle brother's voice, the story sounds matter-of-fact. But, somewhere between the lines of text and within the lines of the illustrations, this quiet picture book packs a strong emotional wallop. Himler's artwork, pencil with watercolor washes, sensitively depicts each character's emotions through body language and facial expressions. The family is African American, but the emotions and experiences are universal: loving one another, learning to show that love, growing into new roles, and longing for absent family members. A particularly timely piece. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Star Bright Books (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595720073
• ISBN-13: 978-1595720078
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,475,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true gem!, July 15, 2005

By 

John Wetterholt (Crystal Lake, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Big Brother (HC) (Hardcover)

I'm an unabashed, definitely sentimental, fan of well done picture books. This one is flat-out wonderful. The family love, the importance of rituals, the joy of passing them down--it's all here is this gently told, comfortingly illustrated, yet emotionally powerful story. I loved it, and cried tears of contentment (buckets of them) as I read it again and again.