Tuesday, September 16, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall



This is a story of sibling conflict.  Being the oldest is hard. You have to be responsible and behave like your parents expect you to - almost like a grown-up!

Rubina is excited to be invited to a birthday party.  But her younger sister, Sana, insists on coming along.  Even their mother supports the idea.  Rubina reluctantly takes Sana along and realizes she may not get any birthday invitations from her friends in the future.  

To make matters worse, Sana even takes away Rubina’s lollipop from her goodie bag!  Rubina chases her around the house only to find herself being chided by her mother for not sharing candy.

Then one day, Sana comes home with a birthday party invitation.  Their mother insists that Sana must take both, Rubina and their toddler sister along for the party.  But Sana doesn’t want to!  What happens next? 

I was particularly taken in by the illustrations by Sophie Blackall.  I loved the dark-haired characters with the big, beautiful eyes, the mother in traditional salwar kameez, the lovely printed clothing. Even the depiction of Rubina chasing Sana around the house has been done marvellously. 

This story is appropriate for ages 4-8.  It teaches them about sharing and giving up things they love when necessary, making compromises and being respectful of others.



No comments:

Post a Comment