Invisible Circus Magic Picture Book Book

Lily is not pleased when her parents bring home her little brother, Julius, and spend so much time cooing over him. But when Lily's cousin criticizes Julius, Lily's big-sisterly instincts kick in.

I dislike any book that involves an older sibling hating a younger sibling (or any sibling hating any sibling, for that matter). The first time I read this book, I was reading it out loud to a child I was babysitting. I almost stopped reading it because I was so disturbed that Lily says she hates Julius. Of course older siblings are not always thrilled when a new baby comes home, but I still do not like reading books about siblings hating one another. If it's ok (and even supposed to be considered funny) for Lily to hate her little brother, then why can't the child I am reading the book to hate her little brother, too? Sure, Lily grows out of it by the end of the book, but the bulk of the book (and the most memorable part) involves her hating and torturing Julius. I just don't like it.

I like a lot of Henkes's books but really just do not like this one.