My Brother

My Family

by Anthony Browne

The boy in this book has a big brother who is good at everything. He’s a wild rock singer and a terrific climber. He’s read hundreds of books, he writes brilliant stories, and he’s brave enough to stand up to bullies. To his adoring younger brother, this big brother is a hero. More than that – he is really cool. He can even whistle!
 
With bright and funny illustrations that will endear these siblings to readers, this is a fantastic follow-up to Anthony Browne’s popular My Dad and My Mom .

 


My Brother is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 20, 2007

About the author

Anthony Browne, a Hans Christian Andersen Medalist, is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Silly Billy and Little Beauty. He lives in Kent, England.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very short picture book about a boy's veiw of his older brother. The text just states that his brother is cool, there were arrows pointing and making statements such as 'cool eyes or cool ears' this level of hero worship felt over the top, unrealistic and unhealthy. I didn't like the style of the illustrations, they're not up to Browne's usual standard.

Read on open library.

[Ross Oates · Rating 1 out of 5]

My brother by Anthony Browne is a picture book about a young boy who idolizes his big brother. He repeatedly refers to his brother as being cool throughout the book for being able to do various things like writing brilliant stories and whistling.

This book would be suitable for children in nursery the children would be able to relate to it while the repetition throughout would make it easier for them to recognize words. However I didn’t enjoy and wouldn’t use it with any children I was teaching.

[TwoDrinks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nah, I just didn't like this. It seemed like the plot was trying really hard to reinforce the word 'cool' as new vocabulary and in trying to pronounce everything as cool, every illustration seemed to be very uncool. I thought we were going to end up with some kind of Dwayne Dibley/Austin Powers image at the end. To be honest, it was a mercy this was a short book.

[The Brothers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally love Anthony Browne (Into the Forrest, Willy the Dreamer), but this book just fell flat for me. Let's just say that the little brother thinks his big brother is cool and uses the word "cool" a whole lot.

Illustrations are okay.

[Shandy Htun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a simple story structure. The illustrations seem to be done in crayon and in a journal form, allowing the reader to feel more intimate with the content. The illustrations include arrows that explain which prospects of the writer's brother is cool. This is different from normal picture books because this aspect allows the reader to be a part of the book. It is very casual, and some young students may enjoy being able to relate to how the writer feels about their older sibling.

[Jasmine Longworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant picture book showing the main character admiring their older brother. I think the book gives off a positive note because at the end because the younger brother explains that he is cool too, so it shows children that you shouldn’t compare and think people are better than you, but you can still be fond of someone and admire them.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a tale about hero worship: Big Brother as Hero worship. For instance:

He's a great jumper,
a Terrific climber,.

By the end of this picture book, there's actually a surprise discovery that younger brother makes about himself.

Maybe you can guess, but no spoilers, please.

FIVE STARS to Anthony Browne for his gorgeous illustrations and also the spare-and-clean text.

[Shelby Heffington]

This book is cute to have because it shows how much the younger sibling looks up to his older brother and how highly he thinks of him and it can help with the younger siblings who think their older brothers are mean and bullies so it shows to find the cool in their older siblings.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this picture book. It is humorous and imaginative but also explores the concept of role models and admiring others' strengths. It could lead to productive discussions about sibling/family relationships, identity and confidence.

[Charlotte Yardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book reflecting on a brother and how he is viewed as 'cool'. Pointing out different features that make him 'cool'. I liked how at the end there's a message of 'I'm cool too' however it appears to be a very simplistic book.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another odd one.

[Frances Coe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shared in our class discussions, covers family, role models and would help with phonics - cool repetition and positive adjectives being highlighted

[Mercedes Puelma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Era bueno pero no extra mega buenísimo

[naiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hay mejores de Brown pero sigue siendo espectacular

[Allie Sargent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: My Brother is a story about a young boy that is a big fan of his older brother. On each page the older brother is described as being "really cool". The older brother is shown doing different activities on each page such as reading books, writing stories, and blowing amazing bubbles with bubble gum. The pictures on each page are very simplistic and show what is cool about the older brother with arrows pointing out specific things, such as his "cool ears" and "cool shirt". After describing his older brother in detail, the younger brother comes to the realization that is in fact cool too.

Themes: A theme for this story is the importance of family and individuality. The younger brother is able to look up to this older brother and loves all of these different qualities about him. At the end of the story the younger brother realizes that he is cool too and is able to identify different features about himself that he likes and thinks are cool.

Personal Response: This story is very cute and simple to read because of the repetitive sentences. I think this book would be a perfect book for younger brothers or sisters to read because at a young age most children are fascinated by their older siblings. I feel like I would have enjoyed this book at a young age, however it was very simple and maybe too basic for some readers.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to very young readers. This book is probably too simple for children that are in elementary school. However, for young children this book would be a good read because of the repetitive sentences which would allow the children to begin learning the words in the story.

[Kawsor Shepu · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this book is about the author’s brother. His brother is a wild rock singer who can draw anything and he is also a dazzling disco dancer! The list goes on but what really strikes me about this book is the use of diagrammatic pictures and labels which are used to really bring the descriptions to life.

This book can be used effectively in a year 3 or 4 class for English. The children may be asked to create and label a diagram about themselves or a family member. It will really allow the children to develop their creative skills as well as understanding how to use adjectives efficiently in their writing.

This can also be used in other topics such as history and the children could do a similar diagram of historic figures such as Henry VIII. Overall I would say that this is a simple book which is great to read and has many benefits for using as a teaching resource.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is cute, but probable more on the side of cutesy. And I think that would be too young for the K-5 age group. The book isn't as great for a storytime because it keeps pointing out all of the cool aspects of the brother. While that was the part I liked the best of the book, I wouldn't do a very good job at conveying the fun in that. And I think it's too young to give it book talk time. So I think I'll pass on it for that, but if you're looking for a book for a younger sibling who looks up to their older sibling, here's one for you!

[Stacey Scanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My Brother" is a children's book describing a child's admiration for his older brother. The book is written in simple English with lots of colourful illustrations. "My brother is really COOL" is the opening line to the story and is accompanied by a simple drawing of a young boy with "cool ears", "cool hair", a "cool shirt" and "really cool sandals". The text and illustrations resemble that of a child's. I feel that this book would be suitable for a child in nursery up to year 2 as the children would be able to relate to it.

[Shoaa Aljohani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book meant for younger readers is a simple, educational story about a boy thoroughly enamoured of his older brother. The pictures are bright and engaging, easy on the eyes, but somewhat simplistic. Speech indicators abound, in the form of buttons and open text that is scrawled right across the page. The book's design is high quality, and its large size makes for easy reading for children. Images certainly dominate the spare text, though they are often jumbled together in a haphazard way. The story is told mostly through its illustrations.

[JINA YU]

This book is about the author's brother. Although the book level is 3.2 and AR point is 0.5, sentences are simple and repeated. I can imagine how the author admired his brother when he was a boy. What his brother did looks cool and awesome for Anthony because he couldn't do like his brother at that time. His brother must be a hero because he can jump, climb, play soccer, run fast, read, and write. This book is good for emergent readers because there is one sentence on one page and repeated phrases such as "cool shoes" and "cool skateboard."

[Katy Houseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book for students that look up to their older siblings. There is repetion throughout the book, which will help young students recognize words. You could easily use the book for an early math lesson. You can have the students count the number times the word "cool" is read in the story.

[Katie Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

My brother, by Anthony Browne is another good story when discussing families. I would not use this for older students. It is about how much a boy admires his brother who can do so many cool things. He has deep admiration and love for his brother.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hero-worship of the older brother is over-the-top here, but the ending statement (I'm cool, too) keeps it in balance. White background with cartoonish pictures of the brother, labeled to show his "cool" qualities.

[Chelsea]

Browne, Anthony. My Brother. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007. Print. 24 p.
A love story for brothers, My Brother, shows readers all the “cool” things about a big brother. Written in diary-like form, the book is best for young readers ages 3 through 6.

[Sun Woong Oh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Browne used full bleed on every page. On double page spread as well. It gives feeling like the book is full of something big. And the big one is my brother. He is super cool. He's good at everything. I love this book.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is okay--nothing special. And I personally find the drawings odd--they kind of look like monkeys instead of boys to me. I wouldn't use it in storytime, but it was in one of our storytime kits.

[Vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

genial libro!

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Brother – kind picture book full of appreciation and love for siblings. Great for talking about self confidence.

[kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture Book, Brothers, Heroes, Interpersonal Relationships

A child describes the many wonderful things about "my brother," who can fly, write amazing stories, and stand up to bullies.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little brother views his older brother as cool.