The Bestest Big Brother, Ever
Nano adores his big brother Felix. He says that they are best friends, that they invented wrestling and that Felix is ‘totally grape’ (their code words for ‘really cool’). Unfortunately, Felix doesn’t always reciprocate these feelings … This book about sibling rivalry depicts how two young brothers navigate their relationship in a humorous and relatable way.
The story is told from Nano’s perspective, but the charming illustrations clearly show Felix’s true feelings and children will enjoy identifying the frequent disconnect between the words on the page and the pictures. Some of the story is told in comic-like strips with speech bubbles, while other parts of the book use text and gorgeous full-page spreads. The initial irritation Felix feels towards his younger brother gradually dissipates through the course of the story as he helps Nano build his own version of a tree house and there are some wonderful illustrations which depict of the warmth of the true bond between the siblings.
While their mother is yelled at off-page and her advice cited, no adults actually feature at all and part of the charm of this book is the way it depicts how two small boys negotiate and develop their changing relationship, and the complex dynamic that can exist between older and younger siblings. There is much in this story that both children and their parents will relate to, and this book would be wonderful for either an older or younger brother – or sister!
