Product Description

The riotously funny Lilly, last seen in Chester's Way (Greenwillow), thinks her new baby brother, Julius, is disgusting--if he was a number, he would be zero. But when Cousin Garland dares to criticize Julius, Lilly bullies her into loudly admiring Julius as the baby of the world.Lilly knows her baby brother is nothing but dreadful--until she claims him for her own. "Henkes displays a deep understanding of sibling rivalry and a child's fragile self-esteem....Lilly is a superb and timely heroine."--Publishers Weekly. "

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17073 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-21
• Released on: 1995-09-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780688143886
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
For children who are facing the arrival of a new sibling, Julius, the Baby of the World makes for great biblio-therapy. At first, big sister Lilly thought it might be fun to have a new baby in the family. But when her parents repeatedly coo, "Julius is the baby of world," Lilly's mouse hackles begin to rise. Soon the jealousy is too much for her, and she embarks on a rejection campaign that is hysterically funny, but also comforting for siblings who probably feel just as much resentment but would never go to Lilly's extremes. Kevin Henkes, creator of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse refuses to shy away from the truly powerful and sometimes dark feelings of children. Through bright watercolors and handwritten, cartoon-style dialogue, Henkes relishes Lilly's wickedness. For example, she delights in insulting her oblivious baby brother: "If you were a food, you'd be a raisin," she whispers into his crib. "If you were a number you'd be zero." When she paints an elaborate family portrait, she leaves Julius out. When she throws a tea party, guess which baby doesn't get an invitation? But when a visiting cousin starts insulting baby Julius, we discover that the flip side of Lilly's intense jealousy is an even more powerful and lasting loyalty. ALA Notable Book, ALA Booklist Children's Editors' Choice, Horn Book Fanfare Honor List, Parent's Choice Honor for Literature. (Baby to Preschool) --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly
PW commended Henkes for displaying "a deep understanding of sibling rivalry and a child's fragile self-esteem" in this hilarious and refreshing twist on the familiar theme of a new baby in the family. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-This delightful reading of Kevin Henkes' book (HarperCollins, 1990) about sibling rivalry will please even the most reluctant new "big" brothers or sisters. Henkes' popular heroine, Lilly, is less than thrilled with baby brother Julius's arrival, competing for attention while her parents patiently direct her passive-aggressive anger toward more useful activities. Lilly surprises her audience, as well as herself, when she discovers the love for Julius that she's been hiding. Narrator Laura Hamilton's changes in inflection cleverly portray Lilly's harmless pranks and devilish sense of humor. Further drawing listeners into the text are minimal sound effects and appropriate musical interludes. Paired with Zac Morgan's song "The Cribling" (from When Bullfrogs Croak, Oct. 2003, p. 93), this title would make a wonderful addition to a "new sibling" story hour. An essential purchase for preschool and primary audio collections, it will be useful for emergent readers, group listening, and youngsters with new-siblingitis.-Kirsten Martindale, formerly Menomonie Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

If you want children to love literature read them this book!
Kevin Henkes has written some wonderful books but Juilus steals my passion for reading. Everytime I read this story and act out Lilly's intolerable personality towards her baby brother Julius my students go wild. They especially love the part when Lilly is bending over the crib telling Julius the wrong order of the ABC's and 123's. I plan on buying all of Kevin Henkes books. I already have Chester's Way, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Shelia Rae the Brave, Chrysanthemum, A Weekend With Wendell, and Jessica. He is a great author and his books exhibit his talent.

I wouldn't have bought this if I'd read it first
Maybe this book would be a good thing for an older child who could understand that the behavior described in the book might be meant as something funny and not be OK to try, but I don't plan to read it to my 2 1/2 year old. It features a big sister who is having a tough adjustment to a new little brother (so far so good), but it goes into descriptions of a degree of negativity and acting out that I am not really looking to introduce my child to or read about over and over. The new big sister is pictured leaning over the baby's crib saying: "I hate you. You're ugly." In our family, we just don't talk to each other like that. The girl makes up a story for her brother in which she says he is a germ, a zero, like dust under the bed, like dirt...If my child had come up with doing this sort of thing on her own, I'd have to think hard about whether reading a story like this would be helpful. Since she hasn't come up with this kind of behavior, I don't really want to plant the seeds by reading this together. I thought Susan Winter's A Baby Just Like Me was much better, and my daughter loves that book. I also liked Geraldine's Baby Brother.

Wonderful book for children and adults.
My entire family absolutely loves this book. It is a great read-aloud story that children happily listen to time after time. We call it "Max, the Baby of the World," after my youngest child. I bought extra copies and passed them on to relatives who have gone on to do the same. It is a timeless story of sibling rivalry and love.