My Big Brother — Miriam Cohen

K-Gr 3-In this quietly compelling story, a boy idolizes his older sibling and tries to imitate him in everything, from learning basketball to helping to fix his old car to giving their mama compliments. Because college costs too much, the big brother joins the army, resulting in feelings of pain and loss for the family members left behind. However, the narrator carries on, helping his younger brother shoot baskets, complimenting Mama on Sundays, and trying to fill the huge void left by his eldest sibling's absence. The spare, heartfelt text is eloquent in expressing the characters' feelings of pride and sadness. The soft, watercolor illustrations complement the narrative perfectly as the members of this African-American family try to continue with their routines, cope with the absence of a loved one, and hold on to one another until he returns. The last page, showing the sad boy leaning on his brother's car with the text, I miss him, is powerful in its understatement. This book addresses a universal theme and will have meaning for many families struggling to fill voids of their own.-Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.