Big Brother, Little Brother

by Penny Dale

When Little Brother and Big Brother are upset, they both know why--because they're brothers!

Genres: Family, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Penny Dale was born in Abbey Road near The Beatles' Studio, but grew up in Ottery St Mary. Her first school was so small that all the children were in one classroom, and even that wasn't full. She drew and made things all the time and her dad showed her how to use a hammer properly, something she's still proud of. She made plasticine models of everything she could think of. When Penny was very small, she found her parents' folios from a time when they both went to life drawing classes in London. She remembers being immensely impressed by their drawing, and even though she was very young, she knew she wanted to draw like that one day. At her junior school she was encouraged to draw pictures to complement written work, and this she loved, though this was not encouraged later on at secondary school, which she found disappointing. However, she still managed to illustrate work in some subjects, like Science (lively diagrams), Geography (coloured-in maps) and even made a lift-the-flap Norman Castle in History.

After secondary school, Penny took a Foundation Course at Bristol, then took a gap year to work with the Arts Workshop in Bath, making props and costumes, acting, and counting the takings on foreign tours. Later she did a Fine Art Degree at Exeter, where she met her husband Bryan. After college she began working for a time at the Northcott Theatre, designing and making costumes and props again, before she and her husband moved to Northumberland to work on renewable energy projects and graphic design. Their daughter Sarah was born in Hexham, and a friendship developed with an artist she met at childbirth classes, which led to shared daughter-minding, making time for painting, drawing and print making. A year later Penny moved down to South Wales, where Bryan took up a lecturing post in design. It was there that she started to write and illustrate children's books.


Today Penny is one of the UK's leading illustrators of children's books. Her books have met with great success: BET YOU CAN'T and ONCE THERE WERE GIANTS were included in the UK SATS booklist for many years. WAKE UP MR B! was commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal 1988. ROSIE'S BABIES (written by Martin Waddell) won the Best Book for Babies award and was also shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1990. NIGHT NIGHT CUDDLY BEAR (also written by Martin Waddell) and TEN IN THE BED both won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award in 2001 and 2002 respectively. JAMIE AND ANGUS (written by Anne Fine) won the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award in 2003. Penny has sold over three million books worldwide and has been published in over twenty languages. Her most recent work includes PRINCESS, PRINCESS, as well as THE BOY ON THE BUS and JAMIE AND ANGUS TOGETHER.

Reviews

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids love this book and ask to have it read over and over and over. I don’t know why but it caught their attention. They are brothers and just like in the book, the big brother sometimes interprets the little brother for us. And sometimes they fight over toys like in the book. And sometimes they are sweet to each other like in the book. The little brother is so cute looking at the pictures and saying “No like it”, “Sweet”, “Woof woof”, “Big truck”, “No! Mine!”, “Bath”, “No find it!”

[Dave Lester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to have my son Reuben read this one to me. Short and sweet.

[Robin Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly love the unspoken understanding there is between these two brothers. Their bond makes them best friends even before the younger brother has learned to talk. They look out for each other, even when one brother has done something wrong affecting the other one. They are consumed with empathy for each other as siblings. This book is filled with the innate love and compassion that is shared between siblings.

About the Author

Penny Dale was born in London. At an early age, she knew she wanted to draw. She was encouraged to draw in middle school but it was not pushed in high school. She still found time to illustrate. After high school, she worked making props and costumes, acting and counting money from tours. It wasn't until after she married, had a daughter and met another mother to share the duty of watching each other's child that she had time to illustrate and write. She is a leading illustrator for children's books in the United Kingdom winning awards and selling millions of copies.

[Kimberlee Gutterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great to read because most children will have siblings. Before reading you could say that even though the book is about brothers, anyone who has a sibling can put themselves into the story and feel the same way the brothers do. This book is great for teaching children how to help their siblings, especially after they're mean to them. This book is predictable because on almost every page the big brother always says he knows what little brother wants. This trend continues in reverse because when big brother is crying, little brother knows why and he helps him by giving back the toy he hid from him. The illustrations are very precise when it comes to the facial expressions which helps display the story very well.

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even with the 'eighties clothes, the illustrations in this book are amazing--the kind of expressions that a good photographer feels lucky ever to capture. The story expresses so well the close but conflicted relationship between young siblings in a loving but issue-addressing way. One of the books I can't bring myself to return to the library.

[Ashley Wampler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story discusses the communication between two brothers, and shows how special a brother is to have. It would be good for growing families, or even a teaching unit on different parts of the family.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book very simply shows us the bond that brothers have, even as young boys. When something is wrong with little brother, big brother always seems to know what it is. Can the same be said when something is wrong with big brother?

[Janae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fits the purpose for which it was written perfectly. In fact, when Little Brother tried to take Big Brother's truck my own "Big Brother" shouted "no!" before I read out the same scenario in the book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that clearly understands the love brothers can have. The pictures are also very precious.

[Cws]

JEAR2-Dal

[Rukia Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story evolves around the relationship of two brothers and their ability to understand each other. Simple yet wholesome story with relevant illustrations

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also one of my all time favorite books - this is the most precious story about the love of brothers. The illustrations are also beautiful.

[Caroline Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In top 3 of favourite kids picture books ever. Having two sons about that age gap may have influenced that!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this multiple times to my "big brother" 4.5yo son. He then "read" it to his "little brother" who's 2. A great depiction of brothers about my sons' ages and the bond they share

[Julia Mizgorski]

I read this book when I was little