Alphonse, That is Not OK to Do!

Little brothers can be monsters (this from one who knows!) but they also can be fun, creative and loving.  The two little monsters in this story are Natalie and Alphonse, and when Alphonse first appears on the scene, Natalie is not at all sure he is a good thing.  But as he grows, they find there is much they can enjoy together.  There are limits, though, and when Natalie finds Alphonse eating her favourite book, there are ructions.  It doesn’t help that Natalie has just had a bad day that includes having to eat peas!  The ending of this charming and very believable story will be recognisable by all those who have ever dealt with a sibling relationship.  The illustrations are deft, spare, and glorious – full of white space as well as simple but highly effective paintings of kids (monster kids in this case) doing all the things that children do best and lots of large-print, heavy black text well integrated into the pictures.  Natalie is a loving big sister, even when Alphonse is at his worst, but sometimes she has to handle his predations in her own very effective way.  This lovely picture book by a new talent augurs well for things to come.