SMALL SISTER

Meserve’s debut as both author and illustrator will resonate with older and younger siblings alike. Small is absolutely fed up living in her big sister’s shadow, so she does something mean to spite her. She lets Big’s parrot out of its cage, but that only makes her feel smaller than ever. When an upset Small runs off, she finds Big’s parrot in a tree. To her surprise, she also finds Big, huddled near the base of the tree, gazing up longingly at her bird, too afraid to climb the tree to reclaim him. Until this point, the illustrations have depicted Big only as a shadow. Now we see her for real, as Small, recognizing her sister’s vulnerability, begins to really see her sister for the first time. Small comes to Big’s rescue and, in this brave act, she steps out of Big’s shadow for good. Meserve’s digital-media illustrations create the child-like vibrancy and immediacy necessary to bring to life this poignant tale of finding one’s strengths and establishing relationships based on empathy and understanding. (Picture book. 3-7)