BEING THE BIGGEST

Being the biggest can be both exciting and difficult.

“I used to be the only little in my house,” says the book’s intrepid, tan-skinned narrator as two parents gaze at a squirming infant. “That’s me. The teeny tiny baby right there.” But then a new bundle of joy comes along, and the “little” becomes “the oldest, the big one, the biggest little.” Being the biggest, the tot explains, comes easily. “I am a good helper…a patient teacher…a kind sharer…and a confident leader.” Each of Woodward’s images shows the older sibling engaging sweetly with the younger one. Still, our protagonist gets frustrated when “grown-ups forget that I’m no longer little,” and even a confident big sibling can feel overwhelmed when starting school or learning to swim. Sometimes, the narrator explains, “I don’t want to be the biggest anymore.” As the youngster curls up in a ball, Mommy steps in with reassuring words. “No matter how big you grow…you will always fit here next to me.” Becoming a big sibling can elicit many different reactions, but Mead validates those complex feelings. Gentle, smudgy vignettes, mixed with full page spreads, follow the many facets of growth and love of this multiracial family.

An upbeat yet realistic look at growing up from an eldest child’s point of view.