Big Sister, Little Sister (Hardcover)

~ Leuyen Pham (Author, Illustrator) "In this family, we have two sisters..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Big Sister

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

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (July 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786851821
• ISBN-13: 978-0786851829
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 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 (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,064 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 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)

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.

3 of 3 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

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, sentimental with extraordinary illustrations, July 10, 2008

By	ilovebooks4kids (Somerset County, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

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

Never before have I seen a picture book with such expressive illustrations. From grins to grimaces to telling body language, Pham accurately captures the give-and-take, love-and-hate of sisterhood. Any household with two or more girls will appreciate the relationship woes and triumphs in this tale.

While the text does not convey a story per se, it instead provides snapshots of sibling rivalry and scenes of tenderness. Pham's glorious pen-and-ink illustrations more than make up for the lack of a clear beginning, middle and end.

Children will enjoy flipping through this book on their own since the characters are so fun to "read." It doesn't need words!

Humorous and warm, this book is a quick bedtime read that will delight your own big and little sisters.