Author: Franz Brandenburg
Illustrator: Aliki
Publisher: The New York Review, 2018 (originally 1976)
Age: 3-7
Themes: envy, cats, illness
Opening: Edward was sick..
Summary: (from my library catalog) Elizabeth envies her brother the pampered treatment he gets when he is sick in bed. Then she gets sick too..
I like this book because: maybe it’s just that it reminds me of my own childhood, or maybe because the sweetmness of the story is ageless, but both the simplicity of the story and it’s very caring nature paired with adorable, emotion-packed illustrations feels just right! Perfect read for the nose-blowing season and “to pass the time.”
Resources/Activities: role play: this was one of my favorite activities with my older sister (maybe because she got to play the patient!); I played the nurse, and mostly what I did was prepare her a meal in bed and just get her whatever she needed (wanted!).
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
My lemon tree looking at the snow falling!
julie rowan-zoch 
I think kids, and parents, will relate to this story! Who hasn’t secretly (or not so secretly) envied the attention a sick or injured sibling receives?
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Reminds me of my favorite Madeline story.
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Yes! “I want my appendix out too!”
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Love those illustrations, especially of “Edward was sick.” Aww…
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Just found out the author and illustrator were married!
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Maybe still are!
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The story and the illustrations have a real retro/evergreen feel to them.
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The original was pubbed in 1976.
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Oh, this reminded me of (1963) when my brother got chicken pox and then I wanted them so I could stay home from school, too. And then I got them and realized it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. This looks like a sweet book.
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I ‘made’ my kids get CP when my daughter’s bestie had them. Oddly it was a great learning experience as they both had eczema and during the outbreak, the exczema scaled back to next to nothing!
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the sort of book I would have read whilst home from school … sick.
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This is definitely a Julie pick! Love the illustrations. I remember those feelings. Usually when one sibling got sick, it was just a matter of time when everyone became sick. Glad it’s been released again.
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Definitely a universal feeling!
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I recall envying the attention my sister received when she was sick in bed: a stack of favorite books, a little TV rolled beside her bed, room service… Then I caught her cold and, despite receiving the same great treatment, I liked everything except the darned cold.
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Julie, I love the older, timeless books you find. It was so hard being the “un-sick” sibling! Thanks for highlighting this one.
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A Universal theme that is going to stick around for a long long while. Love the illustrations, so sweet. Really has that heart feeling. Love it!
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What a gem!
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