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Glazer, Anya

What Are Sisters For?

32 pp. | HarperCollins/Tegen | September, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-06-291606-8 $17.99
(2) K-3 Big sister Ada shows boundless patience with little sister Bea's many questions. She feels a responsibility to answer each one, because having all the answers is "what big sisters are for." (Bea and Ada are depicted as koalas, living in a town with shops including Marsupial Books and Koality Foods.) Bea's questions, however, are getting harder and harder to answer, and when one day Bea asks, "Where do shooting stars go?" Ada invents an answer--and the next thing you know, the girls are exploring the nearby jungle in search of the "starberries" that Ada had suggested would be there. In this unfamiliar territory, Bea's continual questions begin to overwhelm Ada, who must finally admit that she just doesn't know. Though the two girls get lost, Glazer's vibrant pictures keep the tone reassuringly upbeat--and their adventure ends on a double-page spread revealing a spectacular landscape with a shimmering waterfall in the distance, rewarding the sisters' decision to keep exploring. Glazer incorporates lots of speech bubbles into her engaging acrylic, gouache, colored-pencil, crayon, and Photoshop illustrations. Poring over the pictures, which range from vignettes to full-bleed spreads, will reward observant viewers, who may spot delicate details such as each girl's favorite pattern or color (polka dots for Ada, bright yellow for Bea) as well as interesting creatures in the jungle. This story of sisterly devotion begins with endpapers featuring sweet, affectionate scenes and concludes with endpapers hinting at more adventures to come--together, of course.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

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