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Summary
Summary
The baby of the world is anything but that to his big sister--until Cousin Garland dares to criticize him.
When baby Julius is born, his parents think he is just perfect. "Julius is the baby of the world," they chime as they kiss him and admire him.
But Lilly is Julius's older sister, and she knows differently. "I am the queen," says Lilly. "And I hate Julius."
Poor Julius. And poor Lilly, because her selfish behavior is making her miserable, too. Can anyone persuade Lilly that her brother really is the baby of the world?
This funny picture book classic from the beloved Kevin Henkes explores sibling rivalry and children's sometimes fragile self-esteem in a real and approachable way. Share this book at home or at circle time--with or without siblings, kids ages 3-7 will relate to the emotions and enjoy the story.
Author Notes
Kevin Henkes was born in Racine, Wis. in 1960 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. One of four children in his family, Henkes grew up with aspirations of being an artist. As a junior in high school, one of Henkes's teachers awakened his interest in writing. Falling in love with both writing and drawing, Henkes realized that he could do both at the same time as a children's book author and illustrator.
At the age of 19, Henkes went to New York City to get his first book, All Alone, published. Since that time, he has written and illustrated dozens of picture books including Chrysanthemum, Protecting Marie, and A Weekend with Wendell. A recurring character in several of Henkes's books is Lily, an outrageous, yet delightful, individualist. Lily finds herself the center of attention in the books Chester's Way, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Lily's Purple Plastic Purse.
A Weekend With Wendell was named Children's Choice Book by the Children's Book Council in 1986. He recieved the Elizabeth Burr Award for Words of Stone in 1993. Owen was named a Caldicott Honor in 1994. The Year of Billy Miller was named a Newbery Honor book in 2014.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This delightful reading of Kevin Henkes' book (HarperCollins, 1990) about sibling rivalry will please even the most reluctant new "big" brothers or sisters. Henkes' popular heroine, Lilly, is less than thrilled with baby brother Julius's arrival, competing for attention while her parents patiently direct her passive-aggressive anger toward more useful activities. Lilly surprises her audience, as well as herself, when she discovers the love for Julius that she's been hiding. Narrator Laura Hamilton's changes in inflection cleverly portray Lilly's harmless pranks and devilish sense of humor. Further drawing listeners into the text are minimal sound effects and appropriate musical interludes. Paired with Zac Morgan's song "The Cribling" (from When Bullfrogs Croak, Oct. 2003, p. 93), this title would make a wonderful addition to a "new sibling" story hour. An essential purchase for preschool and primary audio collections, it will be useful for emergent readers, group listening, and youngsters with new-siblingitis.-Kirsten Martindale, formerly Menomonie Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Lilly, the spunky white mouse who first appeared in the memorable Chester's Way , now stars in a book of her own. Before baby Julius is born, Lilly is an exemplary sister, setting aside toys for the baby and talking to him through her mother's belly. But once Julius arrives, Lilly has a hard time controlling her jealousy. The fact that her parents dote on the new infant, ``kissing his wet pink nose, admiring his small black eyes and stroking his sweet white fur,'' doesn't help matters. ``Julius is the baby of the world,'' croon Lilly's parents. ``Disgusting,'' comments Lilly. Lilly tries to sabotage her parents' early efforts at the baby's education by teaching him her own letter and number sequences: ``3, 8, 1, 5, 9, 6, A, J, K, Z, B.'' However, big sister's protective feelings are aroused when a snooty cousin displays the same disdain that Lilly has felt for the baby. Henkes displays a deep understanding of sibling rivalry and a child's fragile self-esteem. With her gold paper crown and red cowboy boots, Lilly is a superb and timely heroine. Ages 4-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
The riotously funny Lilly, last seen in 'Chester's Way' (Greenwillow), thinks her new baby brother, Julius, is ''disgusting''; ''if he was a number, he would be zero.'' But when Cousin Garland dares to criticize Julius, Lilly bullies her into loudly admiring Julius as ''the baby of the world.'' Children will enjoy Lilly's all-out negativism as well as her change of heart. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Before Julius was born, Lilly was the best big sister in the world,"" but of course ""after Julius was born, it was a different story""--the usual tale of sibling displacement, anger, jealousy, and eventual acceptance. A familiar topic, but Henkes' delicately humorous narration--with its deft use of repetition reflecting Lilly's growing exasperation with the attention and special treatment Julius gets--makes this an unusually effective presentation. The expressively drawn characters--mice with very human clothing and domestic arrangements--are amusing and appealing. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. It's hard to imagine a more enjoyable way to approach the sensitive issue of sibling rivalry than with Henkes' funny, eloquent story about an irrepressible girl mouse. Lilly, who debuted in Chester's Way [BKL S 1 88], may still be the queen of the world, but her new brother "Julius is the baby of the world." Suffering from a severe case of siblingitis, she warns pregnant strangers: "You will live to regret that bump under your dress." While her understanding parents shower her with "compliments and praise and niceties of all shapes and sizes," nothing works until snooty Cousin Garland comes for a visit. When she mimics Lilly's insults ("I think his wet pink nose is slimy"), Lilly won't stand for it: "Now repeat after me . . . JULIUS IS THE BABY OF THE WORLD!" Henkes' stronger reliance on line results in paintings that, like his heroine, are less delicate than his usual. But his captions ("You mean that bump is going to be a baby?! I thought you were just getting fat like Aunt Mona!") and characterizations are as clever as ever. ~--Julie Corsaro
