First There Was Me, Then There Was You
February 11, 2025 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
A young boy waits eagerly for the birth of his sister, and is glad that she has arrived even though she is rather boring at first. He tells her all of the things that they will do when she is older, but also takes the time to help her learn to walk and talk. As she gets older, he can help her dance, run around, and amuse their parents. Things will not always go smoothly, and there may be fights and misunderstandings, but the boy is glad to have his sister in his life and offers her his unwavering support.
I enjoyed the overall tone of this, which nicely balanced the good and bad things about having a sibling. The boy is somewhat older, perhaps five, when his sister is born, so he has some patience that younger children may not have with infants. Even though his sister is boring, he is able to recognize the fact that there are small milestones that will lead up to a day when she is more interesting and can play with him. The recognition that there may be some sibling spats, but they will be temporary, was great. The boy in this book is certainly an exemplary older brother!
McLeod's artwork is engaging, and I loved how many of the backgrounds were set outdoors. My favorite part, which is easy to miss, was the depiction of the brother and sister's companion stuffed animals having their own adventures on some of the pages. The brother has a rabbit, and the sister a much smaller bear, and they are shown dancing, hanging from a tree branch, and having their own squabble. The rabbit even carries the bear through a field of flowers! I am not sure why this was so touching, but I enjoyed it.
There are plenty of books welcoming new babies, but I liked that this was forward looking and gave some insight into what the future would hold for the brother and sister's relationship. First There Was You, Then There Was Me is a stand out in the new sibling category, which includes Bradbury's Nearly Exactly Almost Like Me, Laguna's When You're Older, Childs' The New Small Person, Pinckney's Brandon and the Baby, and the classic Keats' Peter's Chair.
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Panda is very exuberant, but he needs to work on his personal boundaries. He stands too close, and puts his nose right in others' faces! When this happens, his friend politely asks him to step back, and Panda does. When he meets a dog whom he thinks might be a new friend, however, he scares the dog off by being too enthusiastic and squeezes too hard. He has to be reminded that a better way to greet someone new is to give the puppy a smile from a distance. When Panda licks his new friend and is admonished, Panda gets angry and stomps off, but comes back and works on his interpersonal skills so that everyone is happy.
Jennings has illustrated a wide variety of books, including the From An Idea To series, and her pictures have a great Cartoon Network goofy quality to them that is perfect for Panda's antics. Young readers will giggle when they turn the page and get a close up of Panda's eye... you are WAY too close, Panda! The dog is delightfully silly as well, and the blue and lime color scheme works with Panda's black and white.
It's hard to teach kids about personal space, even in middle school! (Do NOT hug your librarian. Please!) Humor is a great way to approach this topic, and the short and simple text is to the point. I can see this being used as a classroom read aloud in early elementary when students need lessens in keeping their hands to themselves, and the narrator has a calm, balanced approach that models how readers can tell others when behavior bothers them.
I'm a big fan of books about manners, and my personal favorite, that I read every time I visit my grandson, is Scarry's Little Golden Book of Manners. Include this in rotation with Keller's Do Unto Others, Willem's Time to Say "Please", Shannon's It's Not Funny, David, Bell's Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot to ensure that your young reader will have the skills needed to be successful in society!
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