Dorothea M. Sachs

Little Golden Books Baby Sister is a bilingual, level 2 readers book. It is the perfect book for older siblings who have a sibling on the way and are feeling a bit of neglect from their parents. It also teaches the importance of responsibility of taking care of a baby, as well as, a pet. There is a lesson that teaches kids that if they help mommy and daddy out with the new baby then their parents will be very appreciative of them. Benito is the main character who has a baby sister named Aleta. Benito learns a lot about what comes with a new baby. He has to learn to be more quiet, helpful, and patient. He starts to realize his mom and dad don’t have as much time for him since a baby is a huge responsibility and a lot of work. Benito finds a small kitty one day and decides to keep the cat and take care of it like a baby. He realizes taking care of an animal is similar to taking care of a new baby and starts to understand why his parents are always so tired and busy. Benito grows to like his sister as he gets older. The illustrations of this book seem to be pencil sketches, but they are very well drawn and help convey what is going on in the story. Possible discussions for the classroom relating to this book could be about what students struggle with at home when it comes to siblings and pets. A teacher could use this to help his/her students learn how to be patient, helpful, responsible, and understanding.… (mais)