My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother

My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother

Written and Illustrated by Patricia Polacco

Appropriate for Grades PreK-3

Realistic Fiction

Do you have a sibling who sometimes gets under your skin? Do you often argue over who can do something better than the other? In Patricia Polacco’s My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, Tricia’s older brother, Richard, always gets the best of her. No matter what Tricia does, Richard seems to one-up her. There is nothing quite as bad as having a rotten older brother who can do everything better than you can.

Patricia Polacco’s story My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, is based on the author’s real life relationship with her older brother. In it, she addresses this issue of sibling rivalry. Everything Tricia and her brother Richard do seems to turn into a contest. And every contest always has the same outcome- Richard wins. He can run the fastest, climb the highest, burp the loudest, eat more raw rhubarb, and he does it all with a rotten, green-toothed, weasel-eyed grin. But one night, Tricia sees a shooting star and makes a wish. She wishes to do something, anything, better than her brother. What happens next will change Tricia and Richard’s relationship forever.

Patricia Polacco managed to create real and believable characters. Every child can relate to the constant need to out-do a sibling, or friend. Everyone wants to be the best at something. It is important for children to see that in the end, nothing should come between kinship. Polacco’s illustrations bring the characters to life. While humorous and full of expression, her images are detailed, warm, and inviting. The readers will enjoy the fun portrayal of the constant banter and “can tos and cannots” in this sibling rivalry.

This book may come in handy when teachers want to address the issue of competition in the classroom. Sometimes students can argue over who is better at something. We want to teach children to not always be trying to one-up a friend, or sibling. This book is the perfect example of overcoming arguments and realizing that relationships are more about love than constant battle and bickering. This may also be a story to read to the class if you want to do a lesson on enrichment and explore the different families of the classroom.