Me and My Sister

by Ruth Ohi

Book Overview

A little book about the big bond between two young sisters: Sister in the kitchen. Sister in my room. Sister in a box. Sister going zoom. Whew. Being a sibling is about many things: sharing, having... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550378937
• ISBN13: 9781550378931
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Annick Press
• Length: 24 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.3" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 2 to 4 years

Customer Reviews

Labile Emotion; Stable Love

It takes Ruth Ohi only 19 pages to communicate a full range of emotions between two young sisters. Adults and children will recognize--perhaps with a smile--her examples of sibling jealousy and affection. When the sisters get along, they have loads of fun: They whip up a snack, explore a box of dress-up clothing, and zoom around the house (in the now empty box)--they're true and affectionate friends. Sharing one's doll is another matter; however, especially when your pre-school age sister doesn't ask your permission to exchange her stuffed bear for your curly-headed favorite. Ohi deftly captures the swift emotional changes: On one two-page spread, the older sister (she seems about 6 or 7 years old) looks aghast as her little sister contentedly feeds the curly-headed doll with a bottle. Turn the page, and the older sister has grabbed the doll back, her eyes flashing an unmistakable "Mine!" while her sister looks on helplessly, longingly, and nearly in tears from her high chair. Just as quickly, the situation changes back to affectionate cooperation: The sisters read a book together (actually, the older one reads; the younger one looks at the pictures), and the coveted doll is perched right between the two of them. The alternating conflict and cooperation is neither over-dramatized nor trivialized; instead, it's portrayed realistically and with empathy. The older sister shows her maturity and compassion in the sleep-time scene that closes the story, and eventually the two sleeping girls share a bed, their dolls, and a beautiful patchwork quilt. Ohi uses purples and yellows to enliven her soft but evocative watercolor illustrations, and the short rhyming sentences and uncluttered pages make this a superb book for young readers. The vivid portrayal of emotion also lends itself to group discussion (e.g., "And how do you think she feels now?"). Sweet but realistic, the book packs a lot of feeling into a story aimed at family small fry.