My nephew is the youngest of three. He is three years old
with two older sisters and has the energy of about ten three year-old boys. He
can be positively angelic one minute and crashing a bookshelf to the floor in
pieces the next. And just like Alphonse in the picture book Alphonse, That Is Not Ok To Do! (
written and illustrated by Daisy Hirst), he has the charm of about ten three
year-old boys.
This week’s picture book is about Natalie, a once only
child, and Alphonse, the little brother who came along and changed her life.
Natalie mostly enjoys her new companion. They name pigeons together, listen to
stories together, and bounce things off their bunk beds together. Alphonse has
a few not-so-fun habits, however, like drawing on Natalie’s things or eating
them. One day Natalie reaches her limit when she catches Alphonse eating her
favorite book. Conflict ensues and Natalie and Alphonse have to find a way to
settle their differences.
You don’t have to have a little brother to relate to the characters in this story. Anyone with a
sibling, girl or boy, older or younger, can relate to how annoying and
ultimately rewarding a sibling relationship can be. Natalie and Alphonse are
not drawn as humans—they look like people from a child’s imagination—but that
makes their circumstance even more universal.
This is a great book for kids who are struggling with a new
little brother or sister in their lives. It depicts a brother and sister who
feel real frustration and real regret and it shows them resolving their
conflict in a healthy, loving way.
