Chloe, Instead

by Micah Player

Molly always dreamed of having a sister who’s just like her. But she got Chloe, instead. . . . “A charming story about sibling love.” —School Library Journal   These two sisters are nothing Molly loves to color with crayons. Chloe prefers the taste of wax. Molly loves to read. Chloe prefers to nibble on books. Molly is frustrated! But then she realizes that maybe sisters aren’t the ones next to you on the piano bench—they’re the ones dancing to the music you play . . .   This humorous, perceptive snapshot of sisterhood is perfect for those who may need a bit of convincing what fun little siblings can be!   “Will be appreciated in families welcoming a new addition to the household.” —Kirkus Reviews   “The final image of the two sisters snuggling is pure parental delight.” —The New York Times

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Ebooks, Storytime

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2012

Reviews

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cuddling at the end is awww... inducing, but my favorite part throughout are the sister's sets of beautiful enormous eyes.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute book about Sister love.

Molly gets a little sister, she wishes she was just the same as here, but Chloe is totally different. Instead of drawing she eats crayons. Instead of reading she just rips the books (nooooooooooooo where are the parents?). At first I thought this would become a book full of comparisons on how the sisters were different, but, thankfully, it turns out to be much more.

Molly discovers something about her little sister, and her little sister also finds something out about her big sister. I won't spoil anything, but I was definitely going Awwwww when it happened. So sweet! I am so happy for both of them.

Now that I finished the book I can say I love the format, it shows you Molly's world and shows that she just wants a sister with whom she can play and have fun. We see stuff go wrong, and then something happens that changes everything.

The art is super colourful, really it is a big rainbow splashed all over the pages. I also love the style of the art. It is cute, and it fits the book.

All in all, a sweet, cute book about sisters. About love. About finding out that maybe you can all just have fun together.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly wanted a little brother or sister just like her, but she got Chloe, Instead. The sisters could not be more different, and they must find a way to get along using what they do have in common—Molly’s musical talent and Chloe’s love of toddler dancing, for instance—to bring them together. A cute tale of sisterly love, illustrated with brilliant, shocking color and characters with likeness to the Powerpuff Girls. It is shorter than I expected (too brief for a decent read aloud), but each page pops with energy.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful and engaging (if somewhat predictable) story about an irritating younger sibling.

[Stefanie Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bright, colorful illustrations show the young narrator showing us her house. Well, it used to be her house. That was before Chloe came. You see her struggle with adjusting to a new little sister. One who was not like her. She alternates between being upset with Chloe and showing her negative emotions, to apologizing, to doing things to keep Chloe around. Cute picture book to read with children who might be getting a new baby brother or sister. Great talking points on how to cope.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

This fell short for me. I was excited for a story of two sisters, and of the older sister learning to let go and accept her sister the way she is, but instead it was rushed with just a dash of a message. I think this could have used a few more pages and time with the sisters before the sweet, bedtime ending.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah Player is definitely one of my very favorite illustrators & authors for children's books. The art work is bold and beautiful! This cute story about the girl who gets a little sister, Chloe, and learns to appreciate how awesome having a little sister can be. It's a great story for children. Love it!

[Cat Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this. 4 stars. This sweet story of a young girl dealing with a brand new sister is so sweet- I actually got all choked up at the last page. The last three illustrations just got me in the feels!! Is a person supposed to tear up at the end of a picture book? The gorgeous illustrations were perfect and they told the story so well.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girl in the story loves to play piano. She used to be an only child until her younger sister showed up. She was hoping for a sister just like her, but she got Chloe instead. Chloe is a high energy girl who gets into anything and everything. Her sister prefers quiet activities such as the piano, drawing and reading. Chloe pushes her sister's buttons a bit too much causing her to yell at Chloe. But then she feels bad and calls Chloe back. She plays the piano so that Chloe can dance. The girl is glad she got Chloe instead.

The illustrations are very colorful. They are made digitally and finished with ink and watercolor. They are larger than life pictures that easily show emotions and action.

This is a beautiful story about sisters who are far apart in age, but find ways to have things in common. The girl loves her sister and it shows. I absolutely love it and adore the ending. This book is advertised for ages 3-6 which is perfect as the story is simply told.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly was perfectly content being an only child, and now that Chloe has come into her life, she describes all her annoying qualities and how she had hoped for a sister just like her. Chloe is more rambunctious than she is and prefers ripping out the pages of books to reading them. When she annoys Molly one time too many, Molly yells at her. Feeling guilty, she tries to make up for it by playing music so she can dance. Surprisingly, they both have a great time, and Molly is glad to have Chloe. This picture book reminds me of Emma Dilemma with a sibling torn about her feelings toward a younger sister. The illustrations, created digitally, and then completed with India ink and watercolor, show just how different the two girls are. Young readers are sure to relate to every page showing how a new addition to the family means making compromises.

[Irene Dudeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sibling Love

I came across this while searching on Overdrive and the colors made me stop scrolling. Who says you have to stop reading children's books after 5? This was so cute and light-hearted. A quick read, obviously, but it made me laugh thinking about how the older sister in this story felt about Chloe must have been exactly what my older sisters felt about me. I especially got a kick out of Chloe eating the crayons, because I did the same with chapstick (it was one tube, okay?!)

[Dna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect book! I burst out crying at the end. It reminded me so much of how I felt about my little brother, because he was an "instead". I wanted a sister and got a brother instead, but he was quite literally the greatest gift ever.

The book's message is beautiful. The illustrations are charming, colourful, whimsical. I would love the opportunity to read this to kids in a story time setting, because its overarching message about love, patience and acceptance is so relatable.

[Eileen Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for any young girl who has a new baby sister. It shows how one can feel when a new baby arrives. Sometimes we feel badly about having a new sister, but really we love them and are so glad they are part of our family. The pictures are beautiful and sure to keep the attention of the readers.

[Kayla Yirdaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for new readers; not very long sentences or complex words. Beautiful, vivid illustrations.

A story about sisterhood and expectations. The older sister wanted her little sister to be just like her but later embraced her differences and they still loved one another. I giggled a bit because my younger sister is named Chloe.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about a girl coming to terms with the fact that her little sister is different/younger than her and sometimes that causes frustration but also it's a really great thing. Good book for an older sister. The illustrations are decent.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spotted this on the online library catalogue, and the cover caught my eye. It is a very simplistic book, and took all of two minutes to read. I did like the retro-style artwork here, and it had a nice message at its heart, but it did feel a bit lacking in terms of storyline.

[Lindsey Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a girl who wanted a little sister who was just like her but she gets Chloe, instead. Her little sister is nothing like her. While she’s irritated at first, she finds she likes having a sister who is a little different. This book has big and bright, colorful illustrations.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little sisters can be very frustrating and annoying, but Chloe seems to be all that and more. Molly wanted a different sister, but she eventually changes her mind.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love those big, beautiful eyes and bright colors... and for big sisters everywhere this is a must!

[Michelle Farella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big sister, little sister book.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powderpuff girls meet adjusting to a new sibling

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly wants a little sister who is just like her, but she gets Chloe, instead. A cute, colorful tale of appreciating your siblings even though they're not always what you want or expect them to be.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be a great gift to give older siblings at the birth of a new baby in the family. Beautiful, colorful, and fun illustrations.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, simple, sweet story about sisters. The illustrations are vivid and colorful and Chloe’s enormous eyes are adorable.

[Rebecca Caufman · Rating 2 out of 5]

She wanted a little sister like her but she got Chloe instead.

[Ms. Arca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Sisterhood. My favorite thing! ( clearly I’m the Chloé). Loved the writing and tempo. Art wasn’t my preference/style but it worked

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!

Such a cute sweet book! Especially for me because my second daughter is named Chloe. It shows how little sisters can be difficult, but also fun.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siblings?!? Ugh. What are you going to do with them? A cute book about dealing with a little sister.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, relatable picture book for an older sibling who may (or may not) be having issues with a new sibling.

[Annese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!