My Big Brother

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 20 MAY 2002

An accomplished photographer with work in major museums in New York, London and Paris, Fisher creates a tongue-in-cheek volume from a baby's eye view in this captivating debut. The opening spread, for example, shows big brother from the knees down; his black sneakers, wrinkled red socks and blue Band-Aid dominate an image framed in a white border. On the left, toddler-friendly type declares: "This is my big brother." The brother looms large in the next spread, sporting a plastic tool belt and yellow hard hat ("Everyone makes a fuss over how big I am, but my brother is reallybig"). Pairs of photos expand the effect: a shot of big brother with an "open wide" expression offering a spoonful of strained carrots ("My big brother feeds me," says the baby) is followed by a photo of the older sibling's food-speckled face ("And I feed my big brother"). Later, dual shots of a peek-a-boo game in progress draw readers into the action. In the end, big brother turns the tables: lying on the floor he puts a mirror to baby's face, revealing the narrator for the first time. With just a whiff of irony, this attractive volume unveils not only a talented photographer, but an author fully attuned to her subjects. Ages 3-6.