  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 01/01/2015 PreS-Gr 2—Elmore Green's life as an only child is sheer bliss. He has his own room, and no one ever changes the channel or messes with his toys. Of course, "Elmore Green's parents thought he was simply/the funniest, cleverest, most adorable/person they/had ever seen." All of that changes when his baby brother is born. Elmore goes from feeling displaced to angry to just wanting to be alone, until one night, everything changes. The characters are people of color and have the same expressive eyes, and Child's mixed-media images are done in the same signature style as in the "Charlie and Lola" series. The large font flows in curves on some pages and is choppy on others, working well with the illustrations to convey the older boy's feelings. The childlike perspective and simple illustrations will make this story a favorite for any kid who has ever been faced with a new sibling or has ha d to learn to share. Preschoolers will enjoy hearing this story, while independent readers will love the big print and colorful, cartoon illustrations. A worthwhile addition to any collection.—Jennifer Simmons, Anderson County Library, SC - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/01/2015 *Starred Review* When Elmore Green was an only child, he was “the funniest, cleverest, most adorable person” his parents had ever seen. After a baby joins the family, though, things seem to change. More change comes when his sibling, consistently referred to here as “the small person” or “it,” becomes mobile and verbal. When it grows even more, it follows Elmore everywhere, copies everything he does, and even shares his bedroom. Still, when Elmore has a nightmare, he discovers that sometimes a brave companion is just what he needs. Gradually, Elmore warms up to the small person, who becomes “his brother, Albert.” While the story arc is familiar, Child’s version is fresh and amusing. Any child who has had to share jellybeans, not to mention parents, will understand the emotional conflicts at work in the lively text and striking digital collage illustrations. The children are fully depicted from head to toe, with brown skin, black hair, and large, expressive eyes. But when adults appear, they are shown only from the waist or shoulders down. Clearly, the kid’s perspective is of prime importance here. With expressive illustrations and a story that speaks directly to children, this picture book is beautifully crafted for reading aloud. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 04/01/2015 Only child Elmore has it good-no one else around to touch his stuff, change the TV channel, or eat his beloved orange jelly beans-until a “new small person” comes along. As it grows, it increasingly encroaches on Elmore’s turf, and conflict ensues when Elmore must share his room: “Now Elmore couldn’t get away from it. It was always there, looking at him.” The cohabiting becomes a perk, however, the night that Elmore has a bad dream and the small person comforts him, and after that Elmore begins to see the benefits of a younger sib, finally revealed to be a brother named Albert in the penultimate spread. Child has a knack for homing in on the important truths of kid experiences in entertaining ways, demonstrated here in the dynamics between Elmore and Albert and in the precise and pithy phrasing of Elmore’s observations. Elmore’s experiences will certainly resonate with older siblings, while younger ones may gain a bit of insight into their older sibs’ perspective. The illustrations, executed in Child’s familiar collage style, are skillfully composed, with Elmore’s viewpoint front and center and adults seen only from the torso down; the dark-skinned characters, who could belong to various ethnicities, stand out vividly against the airy background of the creamy pages. Pair this Jenkins’ That New Animal (BCCB 3/05) for a look at the ways in which younger siblings change everything. JH - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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