Description ◆ About This Book The issue between older and younger siblings has appeared in countless works of literature ever since Cain and Abel in the Bible. Brothers can be rivals, but they are also bound together by the deep affection of blood ties. Children's books explore the sibling relationship in many different ways—sometimes highlighting the jealousy an older child feels toward a newborn sibling, and sometimes helping children recognize that the sibling bond is the very first relationship they form outside of their parents. At first, a younger sibling can feel like nothing but a nuisance. Just when you thought you'd have your parents' love all to yourself, suddenly you have to share it—a hard reality to accept. And from an older sibling's point of view, a younger brother who doesn't know much of anything can seem truly silly, even foolish. That makes the younger sibling seem weaker, too. 'Because I'm the Big Brother' portrays this delicate sibling dynamic in a wonderfully lighthearted and comic way, capturing with great vividness the everyday problems a little brother can cause. Yuichi's parents constantly tell him that, since he's Takashi's big brother, he must always look after his little brother. But Yuichi feels this is simply his parents forcing something on him, and he resents it. He can't help feeling it's unfair—if his brother had never been born, he wouldn't have had to be an older brother at all. Whenever the two boys fight, their mom always takes Takashi's side, scolding Yuichi with, "You're the big brother, you should be able to put up with that much." So whenever Yuichi gets angry, he gives Takashi a good knock on the head—usually more than once. Then one day, Takashi goes missing. To his own surprise, Yuichi doesn't feel relieved at all, even though the brother he found so annoying is suddenly gone. Instead, his mind goes blank, and he doesn't even feel like eating his favorite snacks. But once he gets the call that Takashi has been found, Yuichi is back to eating snacks and grumbling about his brother as usual—saying Takashi is a clueless kid who wandered off after a stranger, a troublemaker who causes nothing but problems. Yet Yuichi realizes, almost without meaning to, that he had truly been worried about his brother. He can't quite explain why, but he has a vague sense that it's simply because he is the older brother. 'Because I'm the Big Brother' is divided into two main parts: before and after Takashi goes missing. In both parts, Yuichi complains about and seems to dislike his brother. But readers will notice, through Yuichi's reaction after Takashi disappears, just how much he truly cares for his little brother. The quiet way the author reveals the older brother's hidden affection in the book's second half shows real skill and intention. From then on, Yuichi stops hitting his brother multiple times—when he's truly angry, he allows himself just one tap. It's a small but very believable, age-appropriate kind of growth. The story doesn't end with a sudden, dramatic change of heart, which makes it feel all the more genuine. 'Because I'm the Big Brother' is the latest work by Iwao Fukuda, the author of 'Hooray for Farts.' The same sharp insight into children's emotions that made that book so memorable shines through here as well. Fukuda's signature character illustrations are so full of mischievous charm that readers can't help but smile just looking at them. Takashi's comical expressions and Yuichi's sulky pout bring so much joy to the page that readers will enjoy it even without following every word of the text. ◆ Story Summary My little brother Takashi really doesn't know anything. He eats more than half of my snacks before a school outing, or sticks my treasured commemorative stamps all over the dresser and table. He takes my backpack without asking and stuffs it full of trash, or scribbles all over my notebook with crayons. I really can't stand Takashi. He's such a bother. But Mom and Dad always tell me to look after him. Just because I'm the older brother, everything ends up being my fault, and I'm the one who has to put up with it. "You're the big brother, can't you be a little nicer to your brother?" "You're the big brother, you should be able to put up with that much." "Look after Takashi, you're his big brother." I'm so tired of hearing these words. If Takashi had never been born, I never would have had to be anyone's big brother. But then one day…