book-reviews articles: The Sister Exchange by Kevin McNamee

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Sister Exchange by Kevin McNamee

Bill Cosby used to have a comedy skit about parenting back in the 70’s. One of the points he used to make is that if you have only one child you’re not really a parent. I didn’t quite understand how he could say such a thing, but that was before I had two young girls close in age who fight constantly. If I remember the skit correctly, Cosby said you weren’t a real parent if you only had one child because you didn’t have to listen to things like, “She’s touching me!”

In this charming and delightful book, Kevin McNamee tackles the issue of sibling rivalry in a fun and unique way. When Brianna, the oldest of two sisters, complains about her younger sister, Julianne, she tells her mother that she wants a new sister. Julianne is always bugging her, and following her around, wanting to do what she does, and it’s plain old annoying.

So, Mom calls up the Sister Exchange and asks to trade in Julianne. That’s when Brianna learns something surprising about Julianne and herself.

The Sister Exchange is one of those stories that will make you feel good by the time you reach the end. As your child follows along Brianna’s journey to trade in her sister, they learn how special siblings can truly be; that despite those little things about them that might bug you, you’re lucky to have them around.

In a fun and engaging way, McNamee has taken a serious issue and turned it into a story that will delight your children.

The illustrations by Kit Grady are the perfect compliment to this story. I was already a fan of her work, but she’s outdone herself in her creation of these two sisters and the many humorous illustrations of the potential sister replacements; though I have to say that Hissy the cat is my favorite.

A great story with a superb ending, The Sister Exchange by Kevin McNamee is definitely a book you’ll want to share with your little girls.

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