Sibling-Themed Series of Picturebooks in 2021

Myra here.

This July to September, we are doing a book-series marathon.

We are featuring books that fit the following deliberately-nebulous criteria:

1. Books that are part of an ongoing series
2. Themed stories: books that are technically not part of a series, but fit a specific theme – e.g. intergenerational stories, nature-themed stories
3. Short story collections
4. Narratives of a similar genre 
5. Stories written by same author

I was delighted to find these sibling-themed picturebooks via Overdrive, which seem perfect for our current reading theme.

It’s Big Sister Time! [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written by Nandini Ahuja Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri
Published by Harper Festival (2021)
ISBN: 9780062884381 (ISBN10: 0062884387) Borrowed from Overdrive. Book photos taken by me.

It’s Big Brother Time! [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written by Nandini Ahuja Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri
Published by Harper Festival (2021)
ISBN: 9780062884374 (ISBN10: 0062884379) Borrowed from Overdrive. Book photos taken by me.

These two picturebooks are perfect gifts to young children who are about to become big brothers or big sisters. The text in both stories is identical – the only difference is the gender of the main protagonist and a few details (scarves versus head wraps) here and there.

From “It’s Big Brother Time!”

From “It’s Big Sister Time!”

What makes the series immensely attractive though is not so much the text itself (which is fairly simple and straightforward), but the fact that all the characters here are people of color.

The narrative is predicated upon the older sibling providing the younger one the rules to navigate his or her new world. Hence, instead of being annoyed or frustrated at the younger sibling, it becomes the older sibling’s task to serve as the ‘mentor’ since they are, after all, the experts at being babies.

While the role of the extended family is keenly felt in both narratives, I appreciated how the bigger sibling seemed more “in charge” of rules-setting, at least as far as the baby is concerned.

These are fun and charming picturebooks published this year that will make a good addition to anyone’s library, especially for families who are expecting an additional member soon.

#SurvivalStories2021 Update: 79-80 out of target 100