Description ▣ About the Story ■ You Know What? I Have a Little Sibling Now 'What does it mean to become a big brother?' Watching Mom's belly grow bigger each day, I imagined all sorts of ways I'd be a kind and caring big brother. The day I actually became one, I felt a strange mix of joy and fear. But once my little sibling was actually born, it turned out to be so annoying! Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma—everyone belongs to my little sibling now. The only one who understands how I feel is my elephant doll, Haneul. Haneul, maybe I shouldn't be a big brother anymore? ▣ Planning Intent ■ You Are Always Mom's Precious Child "I guess Mom cares more about my little sibling than me now." This is one of the most common thoughts children have once a new sibling arrives. Because the new baby needs so much attention, time with Mom naturally shrinks, and Mom ends up holding the new baby far more often. Junie, the main character of this book, felt exactly this way. Because his little sibling cried at the drop of a hat, he couldn't even read a single book together with Mom anymore. Junie feels he's already given up so much, but now Mom is asking him to give up even Haneul—his precious doll—because he's 'the big brother.' Everyone calls Mom 'Haneul' (meaning 'sky')—and elephants are known to be one of the animals with the strongest maternal instincts. That's why Haneul, portrayed as a sky-blue elephant doll, feels almost like a mother to Junie. Ever since he was born, they've played and slept together every single day. They've shared quiet conversations and Junie has poured out his worries to Haneul. But now he's being asked to give Haneul up to his little sibling—if Mom really loves him, how could she ask him to give away Haneul? This book uses a beloved attachment doll as a stand-in for Mom, capturing the confusion, anxiety, and growth that many firstborns experience when they feel they must 'share' their mother with a new sibling. What big brothers and sisters everywhere need most is to feel that they are still just as precious as ever. Junie felt that Mom loved his little sibling more, but when he learns that Haneul was actually a precious doll Mom received as a gift from her own father before Junie was even born, he feels an overwhelming sense of love. After all, the doll he received from Mom is soaked in her memories and her own father's love. That realization helps Junie grow enough to willingly give Haneul to his little sibling. Even if he gives away the elephant doll he once thought of as 'Mom,' his real Mom is still right there beside him. In this way, Junie grows up enough that he no longer needs to talk to Haneul the way he used to. It's okay now, even without Haneul, who always used to comfort him. Haneul, too, was once in the very same position as Junie. The mother who was always by Haneul's side eventually grew up, had Junie, and had to share her with him. But Mom says that even now, Haneul is still just as precious to her. Hearing this brings great comfort not only to Junie, but to every child reading the book. They come to realize that even though time with Mom has decreased, and even though a new sibling has arrived, Mom's love hasn't gone away to the little sibling forever. Through this book, children learn that they are always precious to their mothers, and parents learn how to understand and support the feelings of their firstborns. ■ Born and Raised in Love "You're going to be a big brother, right?" This is something Junie hears often as his little sibling's birth approaches. But to Junie, who has never had a sibling before, the word 'big brother' is still unfamiliar. He gets a vague sense of what it means whenever he does something kind. Whenever Junie behaves well, Mom says, "That's what makes a great big brother, right?" 'Does being a big brother mean making Mom happy?' Junie imagines himself as a warm and caring big brother—helping Mom out, reading books to his little sibling. But on the day he actually becomes a big brother, Junie faces a deep sense of being left out for the very first time. Relatives who traveled from far away, and even Grandma and Grandpa, who always used to adore him the most, now show more interest in the newborn sibling than in him. As the days go by, Junie realizes just how hard it is to actually become that 'kind big brother.' His little sibling only cries, laughs, eats, sleeps, and gets held—yet somehow ends up receiving all the love from Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa. Meanwhile, there are so many things Junie has to do well now, simply because he's 'the big brother.' Junie feels lonely and jealous. To comfort him, Haneul opens up a blue photo album to show Junie. The album is filled with proof that Junie, too, was born and raised in love. And remarkably, some of the very same moments that made him jealous of his little sibling appear there too—showing him that he once received just as much love as his sibling does now.