What would it be like to have a little sister, or even tons of little sisters?

As the eldest of four girls, I feel I may already have some of the answers, here! All the same, I no doubt could have benefitted from a copy of Little Sisters when I was a youngster.

This gorgeous picture book opens with a young girl sitting alone in the corner of a blank white page, wondering how her day would unfold if she had a little sister. As her imagination takes flight, the pages fill with first one, then a whole brood of little sisters. And what fun there is to be had when you have company! From quiet games of hide-and-seek to huge group cuddles, and one very long human train. (I had lost count of the little sisters by this point!)

Yes, life certainly would be very different with a little sister or little sisters in the picture. But it transpires that being an only child can be pretty good, too!

Japanese author/illustrator Tomo Miura’s illustrations are simple and striking, featuring rosy-cheeked children, otherwise depicted largely in black and white. Color abounds elsewhere, in building blocks, on bookcases, and splashed liberally across a fabulous double spread where lots of little sisters are busy drawing. Text is recounted in the first person by the young girl and is straightforward and very readable.

Little Sisters is a wonderfully appealing picture book for the youngest of children, whether they have little sisters or not.

Little Sisters
Written and illustrated by Tomo Miura
Translated from French by Nanette McGuinness
Arctis Books, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-64690-039-8 (Ebook), 978-1646900398 (Hardcover)

Reviews: Kirkus (starred review), School Library Journal

You can buy a copy of Little Sisters here or find it in a library, here.*

*Book purchases made via our affiliate link may earn GLLI a small commission at no cost to you.

Laura Taylor previously posted at Planet Picture Book, a world children’s literature blog she founded in 2017. She is a small business copywriter, NAATI-certified translator of French into English and member of AUSIT. When she is not writing, she is reading and spending time with her two young children. She occasionally tweets @plapibo