Steven L. Layne is the author of books for children and young people. His stories are genuine childhood tales and have been delighting children for many years. He wrote Love the Baby (Pelican, 2007) to help older children deal with the intrusion by a new family member. His follow up to this book is Share With Brother.
Plot of Share With Brother
The bunny rabbit child from Love the Baby is back in this adorable sequel. In this book, bunny has been told by his family that his little brother will be more fun now that he is getting bigger. Bunny has been looking forward to this fact. However, along with the baby getting to be more fun comes more problems – Bunny must share.
Everyone tells Bunny to share all of his things with his brother. Bunny has to share things like his masks when his friends are over or a special sweet treat Grandma has made. Bunny doesn't like sharing even though everyone tells him that his brother will some day share with him.
Bunny begins to resent his Brother and the fact that he has to share everything. He does naughty things like throwing back a present.
Brother becomes sick, and Bunny decides he needs company. Bunny goes in and shares everything that throughout the book he has resented sharing. In the end, Brother shares with Bunny as well.
Uses of Share With Brother
This book along with its companion would be the perfect present for a new older sibling. The author shows in a clever way the importance of the sibling relationship. It also shows parents that although siblings don't seem to get along, there are times in private when these same siblings are the best of friends.
This book is a perfect example of sibling rivalry. Bunny feels the same jealousy and lack of interest in his baby brother as many small children feel. Bunny even begins to do naughty things because of everyone always telling him to share. In the end, however, Bunny realizes that Brother isn't so bad after all.
Sibling rivalry is such a universal truth that this book would be enjoyed by parents and children alike. Readers can identify with the various characters throughout the story.
Illustrations in Share With Brother
Ard Hoyt is the illustrator of these beautiful book. He is a graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California and currently lives in Bentonville Arkansas. This is the third book he and Steven Layne have collaborated on.
Hoyt use of color in the illustrations make this a beautiful book to share with young children. The pictures are vibrant and full of life. The pictures not only portray what is happening in the text, they add to the story by furthering the story. Small children could "read" the story through the pictures.
This is the perfect book to gift a child who has a younger sibling. It would also be a great book for parents experiencing sibling rivalry with their own children as the children in the book while being rivals are also close at times. This fact would give most parents hope for their own children.
Share with Brother by Steven L. Layne, illustrations by Ard Hoyt
Pelican Publishing Company, 2011
ISBN: 9781589808607
Source:
Love the Baby by Steven L. Layne, Illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Pelican Publishing Company, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-58980-392-3
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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