Another Brother
Cordell (Trouble Gum, 2009) takes the old picture-book staple of an only child upset by the arrival of a new sibling and turns it up to 11. Well, 12 to be exact, as sheep-boy Davy is in short order crowded out of his parents’ affections by Petey, Mike, Stu, Mickey, Carl, Pip, Ralph, Tate, Lenny, Gil, Ned, and Bob. Losing Mom and Dad is one thing, but what really gets Davy’s goat is the way the simpering siblings are dead set on doing everything exactly as he does, from eating Toot Loops and walking like a monkey to glaring shifty-eyed and pulling his hair in exasperation. He finally gets his wish when they all learn a bit of independence and stop worshipping him, but the spread of Davy lying all alone in his awfully quiet, empty room at night stops the zany story dead in its tracks. A new, darling little sister with eyes only for her older brother saves the day. Funny and touching in equal measure, this is a sheepish look at how imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even when it is super annoying. Preschool-Grade 2. --Ian Chipman