When My Brother Gets Home

As a ponytailed child waits on the sidewalk in front of her home with her dog and cat, she imagines all the wonderful things she'll do with her brother when he gets home from school. On the agenda: a backyard tea party, a "comic book convention" in their tree house (the siblings are shown as silhouettes through gold-hued leaves), the construction of a massive cardboard box castle, and much more. Lichtenheld (Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish) uses a recurring two-spread structure to build momentum: the girl addresses the reader from her sidewalk perch ("When my brother gets home..."), while the opposite page shows a crayoned picture of his bus journey. The second spread offers an exuberant imagining of the hoped-for activity, cartooned in pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil. Readers with cranky older siblings may keep waiting for the hammer to drop, but it never does: "MY BROTHER'S HOME!" shouts the girl on his arrival, and as the pair walks away from the reader, the boy asks, "So what do you want to do?" It's a touching story of anticipation rewarded and unalloyed affection reciprocated. Ages 4-7. Agent: Amy Rennert, the Amy Rennert Agency. (Mar.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1--A little girl imagines all kinds of fun activities that she and her brother can do when he gets home from school. She pictures them having their own comic book convention, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and practicing Olympic dives. They'll also build a castle and have an adventure as they explore a rainforest. The scenarios she pictures go on and on. They may have elaborate names, but what she pictures are simple and sweet. The castle they will build is actually made out of cardboard boxes and diving practice is swinging from a rope and jumping into a pond. Some children with older siblings will relate to the relationship she has with her brother. The pictures are simple but charming; the illustrations show a little sister trying hard to wait patiently and on the opposite page we see a child's drawing of a school bus in its travels, bringing her brother home. Everything seems better when your favorite person gets home. VERDICT A sweet-natured tale for young children that celebrates the special bond between siblings.--Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

★ "From the striped, marmalade cat to the scruffy, up-for-anything dog, everyone is supercharged and ready to go...their imaginations make their ordinary suburb quite extraordinary. The characters' energy explodes from this endearing tribute to sibling interactions and affection."—Kirkus, STARRED review

"It's a touching story of anticipation rewarded and unalloyed affection reciprocated."—Publishers Weekly

"Everything seems better when your favorite person gets home. A sweet-natured tale for young children that celebrates the special bond between siblings."—School Library Journal

"With great charm and sweet, lighthearted moments, Lichtenheld (Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, 2011) offers an affectionate portrayal of a brother-sister relationship.... While it highlights one duo, this also universally conveys the joys of creative play, which is made more meaningful when shared with someone special." —Booklist