Chloe, Instead

March 19, 2012
“I was hoping for a little sister who was just like me,” says Molly, the nettled narrator of Player’s first picture book. “But I got Chloe, instead.” Molly colors with crayons; Chloe treats crayons like finger food. Molly loves books; Chloe loves to tear pages out of books. It’s so annoying, and yet... maybe the narrator is being a little unreasonable in her hopes for a clone of her own? And maybe there’s something nondestructive that both sisters can have fun doing? Player’s ability to stir up sympathy early on for Chloe, along with his super-stylized, saturated-color graphics (he formerly designed for Paul Frank Industries), give an otherwise familiar sibling-resentment story a fresh twist. In fact, rather than wear out its welcome, his anime–meets–Mary Blair style actually propels the story forward, providing an exuberant counterpoint to the minimalist text (Chloe, the picture of exuberance, is seen gleefully unrolling toilet paper, devouring cookies, throwing clothes, and chasing bubbles in one scene). Readers, and girls in particular, will close the book wanting to hear more from these sloe-eyed sisters. Ages 3–6.

April 1, 2012
Adjusting to a new sibling is familiar territory in children's literature; the recognizable plot here is livened up with lively retro-style illustrations. Told from the point of view of an older sister who'd wished for a mini-version of herself, this features irrepressible newcomer Chloe, who bangs on the piano while her big sister is trying to play it, eats the crayons her big sister loves to draw with, shreds picture books and generally wreaks havoc. Unlike other classic takes on the subject such as Kevin Henkes' Julius, the Baby of the World (1991), the older sister's change of heart isn't catalyzed by an outsider's criticism of the new baby. Rather, she comes to it herself, discovering that Chloe can in fact participate in her own way: by dancing (and burning off that excess toddler energy, familiar to all parents) while big sis plays piano. The illustrations, digitally rendered and finished with ink and watercolor, have a painterly look, with textures, visible brush strokes and vivid colors. The girls are portrayed in stylized fashion, with outsize expressive eyes (deep brown on one, bright green on the other) and '60s-style hairdos (a smart bob on big sis, a high ponytail on Chloe). While the story isn't new, this fresh-looking take on it will be appreciated in families welcoming a new addition to the household. (Picture book. 3-6)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 2-The narrator of this picture book wistfully laments, "I was hoping for a little sister who was just like me. But I got Chloe, instead." Molly likes to draw, but Chloe eats the crayons. Molly loves to read books, but Chloe loves to rip out the pages. The breaking point comes when the mischievous toddler sneaks in and hits a sour note during Molly's piano practice. Big sis shouts out in anger, but then feels remorse and comes up with a clever way for them to play together: "Dance, Chloe! Fast! Slow! High! Low!" Player's brightly colored, digitally rendered illustrations feature stylish characters with large, expressive eyes. The simply written text will resonate with children experiencing a similar familial situation. A charming story about sibling love.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2012
Preschool-G Nobody, perhaps, can push a big sister's buttons better than her little sister, and that's certainly true for Molly. Sharing a house with toddler Chloe is proving impossible: when Molly practices the piano, Chloe bangs on the keys; when Molly draws with crayons, Chloe eats them; while Molly reads books, Chloe tears out their pages. After Molly has a total meltdown directed at her sister, she's sorry and invites her to Dance, Chloe! Fast! Slow! High! Low! Turns out it's lucky that Molly didn't get a little sister who was just like me, because she got someone better instead. Player's text doesn't break new ground in depicting the sibling dynamic, but his bold, digitally rendered retro-style artfeaturing two enormously iris-eyed, pupil-less childrenmay appeal to girls, in particular. Pair this with LeUyen Pham's Big Sister, Little Sister (2005) and Robie H. Harris' Mail Harry to the Moon (2008) for additional tales highlighting the unique relationship between bigs and littles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)