LULU IS GETTING A SISTER

Spoiled Lulu is writhing in the throes of a titanic tantrum.

Readers familiar with little Lulu and this droll early chapter book series won’t be surprised by her wails at all, but the catalyst of this particular fit might stop them in their tracks: a baby sister! Children facing such a seismic family change will immediately understand her fears and frustrations. “Why in the world would they need another child? And why would they want a girl, when they’ve already GOT a girl, namely Lulu, who totally had this girl-in-the-family thing covered?” While understanding (or even believing) Lulu’s extraordinarily rude, smug behavior remains challenging throughout the short, flip chapters of this book, empathizing with her quite-common worries about a new sibling is easy. Her parents’ decision to send her to Camp Sisterhood, a sleep-away camp that prepares girls to act as kind, loving older siblings by pairing them with little-kid stand-ins, doesn’t seem such a bad idea. As it did in Lulu’s Mysterious Mission (2014), Cornell’s artwork quite aptly captures Lulu’s ugly antics and their effects on her audience. Funny grimaces, saucer eyes, furrowed brows, and frowns abound; Lulu and her family seem to be white, while the campers are a diverse group.

The slapstick illustrations and the chatty narrative are sure to appeal to transitioning readers and to children who both love and endure a sibling.