My Big Brother

July 1, 2005
K-Gr 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 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2005
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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)