EMMA DILEMMA
Big Sister Poems
By Kristine O'Connell George , Nancy Carpenter
Age Range: 6 - 9
George and Carpenter winningly collaborate to sketch the dimensions of sisterhood. Told from elder sister Jessica’s perspective, this series of short free-verse poems and pastel-shaded ink-and-digital illustrations movingly depict the challenges and comforts of Jessica’s “dilemma,” namely the actions of her preschool-aged sister, Emma, only a few years her junior. Emma is at times irascible, adulatory, inappropriate, silly, fun-loving and generous. And, irritated as she sometimes gets when Emma raids her bedroom or mimics her every word, Jessica proves herself ever the model big sister, reading to Emma, translating her baby talk for their parents, allowing her refuge when nighttime “monsters” threaten, teaching her essential skills like how to shoot paper off a straw and worrying terribly when Emma falls and breaks an arm. Jessica even makes space for Emma while doing homework—“I move over, give her plenty of elbow room, / because the pictures inside Emma’s head are bigger than the kitchen table”—knowing that Emma loves her because she’s “the only one / who can remember / the names of all her / rocks.” This touching portrayal captures well the many mutual acts of kindness and tolerance inherent in healthy sibling relations. (Picture book/poetry. 6-9)