Alphonse, That Is Not OK To Do!
by Daisy Hirst
Candlewick Press, 2016. 36 pages.
Starred Review
2016 Sonderbooks Stand-out: #12 Picture Books
This book about being a big sister of an annoying little brother charmed me with its specific details.
The drawings are simple, such as a child would do. Natalie and her little brother Alphonse are some sort of monster. Natalie is red and Alphonse is blue.
The story is also simple.
They both liked naming the pigeons, [Banana! Lorraine!]
bouncing things off the bunk beds,
and stories in the chair.And they both loved making things.
Except that Alphonse did sometimes draw on the things that Natalie made,
or eat them, and Natalie hated that.
I like that the author doesn’t need to tell us that Alphonse is being aggravating.
One day when lunch was peas
and TV was awful
and Mom did not understand, [What a lovely dog! It is a HORSE.]
Natalie found Alphonse under the bunk beds . . .eating her favorite book.
“ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO!” said Natalie.
What follows is Alphonse trying to reconcile with Natalie, and Natalie needing some time first. She draws a picture of awful things happening to Alphonse. I especially like the touch of the “swarm of peas.” Then she shuts herself in the bathroom and takes a bath.
But while she’s in the bath, she thinks she hears things happening to Alphonse like what she drew.
When she comes out and learns that Alphonse just created disasters while trying to get the tape to fix Natalie’s book, she’s just glad that Alphonse is okay.
It’s a simple story, but it warms my heart. Sometimes little siblings are incredibly annoying – but sometimes they’re creative partners.
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