MY BABY SISTER IS A DIPLODOCUS

A big brother reacts to his newborn sister.

A young boy excitedly dangles a favorite toy over his baby sister, plays music, and gives her a house tour. He shows his sister her crib, then peers curiously over its side. Like many children with newborn siblings, the boy hears “no” repeatedly. He acknowledges that the baby “only drinks milk” (two illustrations depict nursing) but is gently stopped when he proffers his glass. He’s told “no” when his bike’s front wheel crashes into the baby’s carriage; he gets a firm “no” when he stacks building blocks atop his sister’s forehead. But big kids say “no,” too, like when he’s asked if he likes being a big brother. He angrily retreats to his room, hastily dons T. rex pajamas, then tearfully trashes the place. Compassionate Dad carries his “big dino” to the parental bed, joined by Mom; a tiny red caption “explains” that the boy is a tyrannosaurus. Afterward, the child lovingly reassesses his sister and decides she’s really a diplodocus. This sweet tale, translated from French, deals realistically with a firstborn’s conflicted feelings when a newborn arrives. Readers may be confused when the boy dubs the infant a dinosaur, but when he identifies as a T. rex, he feels powerful and in control; thus, he regards the “smaller dino” and new situation benevolently. The simple, colorful illustrations suit the engaging, concise text well. The family is light-skinned.

A sympathetic read for children adapting to not being “onlies” anymore.