About This Book
Reach for this book when your older child is expressing intense resentment, jealousy, or even performative dislike toward a new baby in the house. While many sibling books take a gentle approach, Kevin Henkes leans into the messy, hilarious, and sometimes 'naughty' feelings that big siblings actually experience. It validates that it is okay to not like the baby at first, while beautifully illustrating how loyalty eventually triumphs over jealousy. Lilly, an enthusiastic and dramatic young mouse, is horrified by the arrival of her brother Julius. She spends much of the book finding creative ways to insult him or 'disappear' him, much to her parents' chagrin. However, the moment an outsider dares to criticize Julius, Lilly's fierce family loyalty kicks in. This is an essential read for children ages 4 to 8 who need to see their complicated feelings mirrored with humor rather than judgment.
