Julius the Baby
of the World
by Kevin Henkes

"Julius the baby of the world", is what his adoring parents call him. Which doesn't endear him to big (as in "preschooler") sister Lilly.

"Disgusting", she fumes, jealous about all the attention he's getting. And so she proceeds to tell her oblivious baby brother exactly what she thinks of him - "if you were a food, you'd be a raisin" and "if you were a number you'd be a zero".

The antics Lilly gets up to, as she expresses her rejection of her newborn brother, make for hilarious reading. Some parents may object to this depiction of meanness towards a sibling; others find that it helps kids vocalize their feelings of jealousy and provides therapeutic relief for children struggling to accept a newborn into the family.

The story ends happily, when a cousin visits the family and starts to insult Julius... This gets Lilly up in arms, defending him in a surprising turnaround. Older sisters can say mean things to their baby brothers, but let anyone else try it!

One of the most popular children's books today, this is a story that's real and relevant to many families with young children.


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