Description

Celebrate the love of brothers and sisters everywhere with award-winning author Eloise Greenfield in this poignant collection of poems for and about families, illustrated by renowned artist Jan Spivey Gilchrist.

“These are the sweetest poems for kids and families of all kinds.” —Charlotte Observer

Brothers and sisters can be dear, can be company, can bring cheer, can start arguments, can make noise, can cause tears, can break toys . . .

Still, I think no matter what, I’d rather have them than not.

This collection of 25 short poems about life with siblings—full, half, step, old and young, close in age and far apart—showcases the powerful and special bond between all brothers and sisters. With lyrical text and vibrant watercolor illustrations, Brothers & Sisters is the perfect way for the children in your family to share their love for each other.

“Everyone can relate to the poems’ affection, frustration, laughter, jealousy, and family pride, as well as the love that always shines through.” —Booklist 

About the Author

Eloise Greenfield’s first book was published in 1972. She was the author of forty-eight children’s books including Honey, I Love and Other Poems and The Great Migration. She received many awards, including the 2018 Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Eloise was a beloved children’s book creator whose pioneering voice, especially for the Black American experience, has made her an inspiration to many generations of readers. 

Jan Spivey Gilchrist is the award-winning illustrator-author of seventy-four children's books. Dr. Gilchrist illustrated the highly acclaimed picture book The Great Migration: Journey to the North, winner of the Coretta Scott King Honor Award, a Junior Library Guild Best Book, an NAACP Image Award nominee, a CCBC Best Book, and a Georgia State Children's Book Award nominee. She won the Coretta Scott King Award for her illustrations in Nathaniel Talking and a Coretta Scott King Honor for her illustrations in Night on Neighborhood Street, all written by Eloise Greenfield. She was inducted into the Society of Illustrators in 2001 and into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent in 1999. She lives near Chicago, Illinois.

Praise For…

"This book needs to be shared in classrooms, in storytimes, and especially within families." — School Library Journal

"Greenfield and Gilchrist team up again in this collection of 25 short poems about life with siblings. The poems’ titles indicate the range of family themes: 'New Brothers,' 'Mad at Dad,' 'Grandma and Her Sisters,' 'Let’s Make Up,' 'Aunt Me,' and 'The Two of Us,' which concludes, 'Whatever we do, / we know we’re going to do it / together.' The styles are varied; some poems follow strict rhymes, while others are written in looser forms. Everyone can relate to the poems’ affection, frustration, laughter, jealousy, and family pride, as well as the love that always shines through." — Booklist

"Timeless…clear and universal. Everyone can relate to the poems’ affection, frustration, laughter, jealousy, and family pride, as well as the love that always shines through." — ALA

These are the sweetest poems for kids and families of all kinds. — Charlotte Observer

"Together their picture book celebrates how brothers get along with brothers, sisters with sisters, and various other combinations." — Horn Book Magazine