A big brother is thrilled to be entrusted with walking his little sister home from the school bus for the first time. He takes his responsibilities very seriously but his little sister is quite a handful. She sings an annoying song over and over, she picks up trash, and she chases a big dog but hides from squirrels. Her older brother is able to meet each challenge with age-appropriate responses, clearly mimicking what he has observed his parents do. When they get caught in a sudden downpour and the little sister trips and falls, big brother is there to console her, move her along, and assure her she is very brave. Appealing illustrations with minimal embellishment focus on the siblings, who are Asian, rather than the setting, while also telling much of the story, especially by showing the little sister’s antics and her big brother’s reactions to them. (Ages 3–6)

It’s a big job when a big brother gets to take his little sister home from school for the very first time. In debut author-illustrator Maple Lam’s charming story, she celebrates the incredible relationship between a little boy and his younger sister. Similar to books like I’m a Big Brother by Joana Cole and What Brothers Do Best by Laura Numeroff, this book is perfect to read with both older and younger siblings, as well as with youngsters getting ready for back-to-school!