“When My Brother Gets Home”
By Tom Lichtenheld
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2020, 40 pages, K-2.
In the dreary times caused by Covid-19, family can be very important in keeping our spirits high. Lives centered on families tend to have the most support and love for each other. Books can display the care and concern that older members of the family have for each other. This is especially true with the relationships between brothers and sisters.
In this delightful story, we see a young girl waiting for her older brother to come home from school while she dreams of all the adventures they will have later in the day. Tom Lichtenheld portrays this in his recent picture book, “When My Brother Gets Home.”
A young girl sits under a tree with her pet dog. She so much wants to have her older brother return from school. All afternoon, she thinks up adventures for them to have together. In her fertile imagination, she first envisions having a tea party with afternoon snacks for the entire neighborhood. In this happy setting, she imagines herself as a queen and her brother as a king.
Next, they climb into to a tree house and have a comic book convention. All around them is the beauty of nature and they read their comic books to each other.
After this, it is time for some vigorous action. The young girl takes her brother to a park with a tall slide. Now she imagines that they are climbing giant Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. She ties a rope to the top of the slide and begins pulling herself up as her brother and pet dog push her and each other up the steep incline.
But this is just the beginning of their adventures. Now the child envisions herself and her brother participating in the Olympics. They go to the top of a hill over a lake, tying a rope to a high branch, both children excitedly soar through the air into the water. This leads to the next adventure, which is a trip to a local stream. The girl sees turtles swimming in the water and wonders if they might be in a tropical rainforest.
Their afternoon continues with one delightful and daring event after another. All the time, the older brother is always there to support his little sister. How does she continue to imagine daring experiences and how does her brother lovingly support her?
What do both children learn about the use of imagination? How does the little sister lead her older brother into a world of fantastic adventures with everyday objects? Why does his steadfast love for the child build their relationship? Have you ever gone outside of yourself to enter into your brother or sister’s worlds and dreams? Why is this so important to do? How does this lead the children to develop their love for each other? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this heart-warming story, “When My Brother Gets Home” by Tom Lichenheld.
This book would make an excellent read-aloud in a family setting. The text is so positive and the pictures are both comforting and inviting. We see a brother and sister supporting each other in their dreams and ideas. It is a terrific book. I hope you get a chance to share this fine book with your younger family members. It is delightful and comforting. Enjoy!
