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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and fifty-six

Though I have no younger siblings of my own, I can remember experiencing the whole older sibling 'thing' when I went to other people's houses. My friends and I were always older, and the little brothers and sisters would be our shadows, driving us crazy and forcing us to run off to find a place where we could play our own games in peace. Today's picture book explores this scenario from the point of view of the younger sibling, and it makes me regret all those times that we ran away. Or at least most of them.

My Wild Sister and Me
My wild sister and me
Iris Wewer
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 7
NorthSouth, 2011, 978-0-7358-4003-4
   When you have a wild sister, life can be very interesting. Most days a young boy and his big sister have a splendid time pretending that they are animals. They “stomp and romp” through the house pretending that they are big bears. They “soar high above the clouds,” being birds with “big strong wings.” They dress up as rabbits and hop around outside, playing Catch-the-bunny.
   Everything is going wonderfully until Penny from next door invites the big sister to go swimming. The young brother is left behind, right in the middle of a “bunny adventure,” and he is very upset. In fact, he is so upset that he hatches a plan. He is going to make his big sister pay for abandoning him in such a thoughtless way.
   Young children who have older siblings will have no problem identifying with the main character in this story. They will love to see the way the two children overcome their differences, and will appreciate the wonderful games the two children play together.

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