Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The titular rule, of course, is "ALWAYS DO WHAT YOUR BIG BROTHER IS DOING," a rule that initially exasperates the unnamed narrator, a big brother. He's unnerved by the way his baby brother watches his every move; frustrated when the little brother becomes mobile ("One day I built the Empire State Building with blocks. It was huge! Taller than me! Then Bro-zilla walked into the room"); and annoyed when brother II begins following brother I ( "I'd say: 'I am going to the bathroom BY MYSELF!' And he'd say: 'Me too!' AGHHHH!"). However, as the little brother gets older, the big brother realizes that maybe he could actually be a playmate rather than just a pest. Of course sibling relations can be way more [End Page 193] complicated than this, but Davis makes her point—siblings can drive each other crazy but also have fun together—credibly and sympathetically with plenty of humor as well. Particularly authentic is the incident that gives the older brother a new outlook on his little bro: it's only when the little brother has a friend over and the big brother discovers that he wants to join in their play that he realizes his little brother can be a peer, too. McMenemy's mixed-media art (which looks to incorporate watercolor, ink, and torn paper collage) is sunny and vivid, with lots of crisp white space surrounding the brightly colored figures and backgrounds. The two brothers and their milieu are depicted with a pleasant, dot-eyed simplicity, with the little brother frequently looking up at his elder brother in clear adoration. Hand this to an older sib to read to a younger one, or, for a contrast of sibling dynamics, pair it with Shore's How to Drive Your Sister Crazy (BCCB 12/08).