What do you think?
Rate this book
What About Me?: When Brothers and Sisters Get Sick
What about me? This question, usually unspoken, lies at the heart of this poignant story, as a young girl attempts to cope with her brother's being ill. Beautifully written and illustrated, this story deals with the many complicated feelings the well child experiences in such a guilt about having somehow caused the illness, fear that the sibling will die, anger over being left out, anxiety about catching the sickness, and longing for life to return to the way it was. The story will allow parents and their well children to take some time out for one another and to forge a renewed sense of family.
From the
Children may try to overcompensate for ill siblings and attempt to please the parents by becoming "superkids" who never have a problem. At the other extreme, they may start to misbehave at home or at school. They may be teased by other children because their brother or sister is not "normal." They may feel angry at their sick sibling for getting so much attention, and then feel guilty for having such unacceptable feelings, with resulting damage to their self-esteem....Children will identify with Laura, the young girl with a sick brother in the story, and will know that their feelings are acknowledged. Sharing this understanding will help reestablish the closeness between you and your child that is so essential to your child's comfort and well-being.
From the
Children may try to overcompensate for ill siblings and attempt to please the parents by becoming "superkids" who never have a problem. At the other extreme, they may start to misbehave at home or at school. They may be teased by other children because their brother or sister is not "normal." They may feel angry at their sick sibling for getting so much attention, and then feel guilty for having such unacceptable feelings, with resulting damage to their self-esteem....Children will identify with Laura, the young girl with a sick brother in the story, and will know that their feelings are acknowledged. Sharing this understanding will help reestablish the closeness between you and your child that is so essential to your child's comfort and well-being.
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1992
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 13, 2020
Summary: A child’s brother gets sick and the child must learn to adjust to her parents, teachers, and neighbors seemingly caring about her brother more than about her. The child also deals with feelings of guilt.
Accessibility: The print is medium-sized. The font has serifs. The black text contrasts strongly with the white background. The print is straight, horizontal, and reads left to right. There is minimal space between lines of text and minimal space between words.
The images have some small details without enough contrast to distinguish the important parts of the image. The outlines are not strong. The images are somewhat blurry because of the artistic medium. The images do not tell the same story as the text. The images are not engaging to most readers.
The named main characters include the main character, her brother, her mother, and her father. There are five other named characters who only appear on a single page, which may be confusing to some readers.
The book is paperback with thin paper pages. There is no reflective sheen on the pages of this edition. The overall construction is not very sturdy.
The story does not cast the sibling of the sick child in a positive light. They are two-dimensional and exclusively reactionary to others, which is the opposite of how the author is advising parents of sick children to treat their non-sick children. This story is clearly written by an adult who is trying to give parents guidance, as opposed to a story that actually helps children with ill siblings to cope with their feelings.
I do not believe there is anything a parent reading this book to a child could do to make the reading a positive emotional or healing experience for the child.
Accessibility: The print is medium-sized. The font has serifs. The black text contrasts strongly with the white background. The print is straight, horizontal, and reads left to right. There is minimal space between lines of text and minimal space between words.
The images have some small details without enough contrast to distinguish the important parts of the image. The outlines are not strong. The images are somewhat blurry because of the artistic medium. The images do not tell the same story as the text. The images are not engaging to most readers.
The named main characters include the main character, her brother, her mother, and her father. There are five other named characters who only appear on a single page, which may be confusing to some readers.
The book is paperback with thin paper pages. There is no reflective sheen on the pages of this edition. The overall construction is not very sturdy.
The story does not cast the sibling of the sick child in a positive light. They are two-dimensional and exclusively reactionary to others, which is the opposite of how the author is advising parents of sick children to treat their non-sick children. This story is clearly written by an adult who is trying to give parents guidance, as opposed to a story that actually helps children with ill siblings to cope with their feelings.
I do not believe there is anything a parent reading this book to a child could do to make the reading a positive emotional or healing experience for the child.
Displaying 1 of 1 review