A Space for Me

December 15, 2019
Brotherly love wins out. Young Alex narrates his frustration with his little brother, Lucas. The boys share a bedroom, and Alex complains, "He takes my stuff and makes noise and plays on my side of the room, in my space." Both boys have medium-brown skin and dark wavy hair. Their big sister, Emma, has her own room, and she resembles her brothers. She notices that Alex is upset and helps him create a space of his own outside. Alex is happy to play outside by himself until he notices Lucas gazing forlornly out the window. Alex can't understand why his little brother isn't happy to have their bedroom all to himself. Falwell's colorful, textured collage art zooms in to capture the tender moment when Lucas tells Alex, "But I want to be with you." The boys gaze at each other across the gutter from facing pages, the green of their bedroom walls now a lighter shade than in prior spreads, evoking a moment of peace and connection. Moved, Alex brings Lucas outside to make him a space of his own in their backyard, too. Closing spreads show the brothers playing together and alone, outside and inside, with illustrations taking pains to make it clear that although things are better, realistically, Lucas can still annoy his big brother sometimes. Find space on the shelf for this sweet family story. (Picture book. 4-7)

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July 1, 2020
"It's not fair," begins this relatable picture book narrated by Alex, big sibling to -- and room-sharer with -- pesky little brother Lucas. Lucas invades Alex's space (so delineated by the classic "tape across the floor" method); takes his brother's stuff; and makes too much noise. When things become intolerable, Alex heads outside -- and comes up with a plan to carve out his own space in the family's backyard. Big sister Emma helps; and when Lucas inevitably feels left out, Alex finds it in himself to include his little brother, knowing that it's on his own terms. Refreshingly, the sibs solve the problem on their own, without grownups to complicate things. Falwell's textured cut-paper-collage illustrations are cheerfully cluttered and childlike, the kids' shared bedroom littered with toys, games, and puzzle pieces. Alex's expressive body language says it all, from the arms-crossed, not-fair stance at the beginning to relaxed ease after he's been able to smooth over his brother's hurt feelings. Their relationship doesn't magically turn perfect; near the end, we see Alex, looking annoyed but resigned, reading and wearing headphones under the covers while Lucas strums a guitar -- on Alex's side of the tape. Pesky siblings will be pesky siblings -- but the final page-turn shows they can be welcome playmates, too.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2020
"It's not fair, " begins this relatable picture book narrated by Alex, big sibling to -- and room-sharer with -- pesky little brother Lucas. Lucas invades Alex's space (so delineated by the classic "tape across the floor" method); takes his brother's stuff; and makes too much noise. When things become intolerable, Alex heads outside -- and comes up with a plan to carve out his own space in the family's backyard. Big sister Emma helps; and when Lucas inevitably feels left out, Alex finds it in himself to include his little brother, knowing that it's on his own terms. Refreshingly, the sibs solve the problem on their own, without grownups to complicate things. Falwell's textured cut-paper-collage illustrations are cheerfully cluttered and childlike, the kids' shared bedroom littered with toys, games, and puzzle pieces. Alex's expressive body language says it all, from the arms-crossed, not-fair stance at the beginning to relaxed ease after he's been able to smooth over his brother's hurt feelings. Their relationship doesn't magically turn perfect; near the end, we see Alex, looking annoyed but resigned, reading and wearing headphones under the covers while Lucas strums a guitar -- on Alex's side of the tape. Pesky siblings will be pesky siblings -- but the final page-turn shows they can be welcome playmates, too. Elissa Gershowitz

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2020

PreS-K-Alex needs a break from his younger brother Lucas, with whom he shares a room. The masking tape line down the middle of the bedroom floor hasn't worked in keeping Lucas out of his personal space, so Alex comes up with another idea. Using household items including a lawn chair and towel, he makes a personal fort in the backyard. Text and illustrations work well together and convey how complicated sibling relationships can be. Since Alex has his fort, Lucas has the whole room to play in. But this creates another problem. Lucas looks crestfallen with this solution. Text reads, "I leave my quiet space and go to our room. 'Lucas, why are you sad? You have our whole room for yourself, ' I say." Illustrations perfectly convey the mood of Lucas who misses his brother. Alex helps Lucas create his own fort out of a cardboard box. This engaging story encourages teamwork and creative problem-solving. VERDICT Highly recommended for library collections. The theme will resonate with siblings who share rooms and offers a practical solution to get one's own space, when a separate room isn't an option.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2019
Preschool-G Alex finds it hard to share a bedroom with his noisy, rambunctious little brother, Lucas. Using tape on the floor, he divides their room in two, but Lucas forgets and ignores the border. So Alex finds a spot in the backyard and, using fallen branches, a broom, a broken chair, and an old towel, creates a space of his own. While he enjoys daydreaming there, it's distracting to see his lonely brother watching him sadly from their bedroom window. So Alex helps Lucas make his own space in the yard. Happier now, they sometimes do things separately and sometimes together in the room and backyard they share. Falwell highlights a common source of contention between siblings and shows one boy's solution, based on empathy as well as desperation. Written from Alex's point of view, the first-person narrative unfolds in short sentences and realistic dialogue. The expressive cut-paper collage illustrations contrast the boys' cramped, toy-strewn bedroom with the small but green and inviting backyard that becomes their haven. A simple story that will resonate with many children.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)