Review - My Brother and Me

My Brother and Me
by Taghreed Najjar
illustrated by Maya Fidawi
Date: 2019
Publisher: Chouette Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

A brotherly love story

Aloush is the youngest in the family. He is not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. His big brother Ramez is his idol. Every day, Ramez drives Aloush to school on his way to work. He takes him to basketball practice, allows him to hang around when his friends come over to watch a football game and always has time to drop him off at the mall to see a movie with his friend.

But suddenly, Ramez doesn’t have time for Aloush anymore. He has fallen in love and is about to get engaged! Aloush is upset and tries to get rid of this threat by carrying out a series of pranks. Will Aloush succeed in getting his brother back?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is actually a rather cute story about a little brother who feels like he's getting pushed aside by his brother's new fiancee.

Ramez is a lot older than Aloush, so of course Aloush thinks he's pretty cool. The brothers spend quite a bit of time together, and Ramez lets Aloush tag along when he plays basketball or watches sports. But then Ramez starts to become more distant, and Aloush can't seem to get his attention anymore. Why? Because Ramez is engaged to a woman named Deema.

Frustrated, Aloush embarks on a plan to drive Deema away. But everything he tries backfires with the kind and patient Deema, who seems to understand what the kid is trying to do. Eventually, Aloush realizes she's not so bad, and Ramez even ends up with a sort of a rival for Deema's affections!

The names, food, and traditions make it clear that this isn't a Western picture book. (The author lives in Jordan, so that's where I'm assuming this story takes place.) It's nice to see some different cultures represented in children's books; I'm glad a Canadian publisher decided to publish this English translation so that more kids can enjoy this simple but sweet little picture book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chouette Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5