Picture Books -- Day 8

For my early childhood education class, we had to pick our favorite children's picture book and read it to the class. So, in order to pick the perfect book, I found myself re-reading some of my favorites. After much debate, and some shed tears, I finally settled on this book. Now, I don't actually know if it is my favorite book, but it sure is cute, and it's fun to read aloud. Julius the Baby of the World is another one of the cute books that Kevin Henkes wrote and illustrated. 

Lily has a new baby brother, and like all little girls, she is jealous. "'I am the queen,' said Lily. 'And I hate Julius.'"  And during the book, she is not very nice to Julius. "'Julius was really a germ. Julius was like dust under your bed. If he was a number, he would be zero. If he was a food, he would be a raisin. Zero is nothing. A raisin tastes like dirt.'" But her parents still try to make amends with Lily by giving her extra privileges, but Lily will not be persuaded. That is, until Cousin Garland shows up, and says the same things that Lily was saying about her brother. But Lily was not ok with this coming out of someone else's mouth. And she soon set Cousin Garland to rights. The story ends with, "Julius is the baby of the world. And from then on, he was. In everyone's opinion. Especially in Lily's."

Kevin Henkes does a great job of having a little kid's mindset. And the pictures add a lot to the story. All of Kevin Henkes' books are amazing, and I love to read, and reread them again and again. I also really love Lily, and I have read most of--if not all of her books. Lily is constantly making me laugh with her funny quirks and her very childlike ways of thinking and doing things.

Julius the Baby of the World

by Kevin Henkes
published by Harper Collins
September 1990

Recommended for 5-7 year olds