The Best Worst Brother
Kindergarten-Grade 4–This sequel toWe'll Paint the Octopus Red(Woodbine, 1998) follows the relationship between three-year-old Isaac, who has Down's syndrome, and his older sister, Emma, who is frustrated by his slow language and motor development. Because he does not yet have the skills required for speech, the family attempts to teach him sign language, which is a transitional system of communication for children with Down's syndrome. Emma works hard to make her brother understand, but he doesn't seem to make much progress. However, by the end of the book, he demonstrates that he is capable of learning, albeit at a slower pace than she expects. Emma, in turn, shows more understanding of his developmental disability and takes great pleasure in his successes. The illustrations are softly colorful, but Emma and Isaac have identical facial features and expressions. Children who have not read the earlier title may not know this is a story about this condition until the question-and-answer section at the end. The text is simple but the message could be shared with a fairly wide audience.–Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, CanadaCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.