Open AccessBig Brothers Don't Take Naps by L. Borden
Author(s) -
Allison Sivak
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the deakin review of children's literature
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1927-1484
DOI - 10.20361/g2tk5v
Subject(s) - brother , sister , reading (process) , credibility , book design , visual arts , art , sociology , philosophy , linguistics , epistemology , anthropology
Borden, Louise. Big Brothers Don't Take Naps. Illus.Emma Dodd. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. Print.A sweet, playful look at what older siblings do for their adoring youngers. The book is large-format, and Dodd often draws the children actual-size, which can make for an immersive feel of being in the page. The drawings are fairly simple ink drawings, which emphasize the emotions of the characters well, and they use much colour. The design also plays with fonts and text layout, making space for the adult reader to be a bit more playful in the reading – for example, the rocket ship countdown. As well as naming all the things big brothers can do, the story hints at a family secret: a new baby sister is coming, so Nicholas can himself now be a big brother. The book is a warm, positive story that children up to Kindergarten age will love.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Assessment Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.