Dear Sister

Alison McGhee structures this picture book as ten years of illustrated notes from an older brother to his little sister, beginning with frank frustration — her crying, the lost privacy, reading the same book 763 times — and ending with real friendship just as he leaves for college. Joe Bluhm's dual illustration style, shifting between childlike sketches and more emotionally resonant artwork, mirrors the narrator's changing perspective beautifully. Kirkus praised its 'gentle humor and poignant scenarios,' and Publishers Weekly called it a meaningful look at siblinghood. The emotional payoff is genuine, and the humor keeps it from becoming sentimental. One honest note: Kirkus flagged that adult readers may connect more deeply than the intended child audience, and the epistolary letter format may challenge the youngest children. Still, for families with siblings — or siblings about to arrive — it's a warm and honest gem.