Willa and Willoughby, the sweet floppy-eared rabbit siblings from Tell Me Something Before I Go to Sleep,
here explore the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. Very early one morning, Willa rouses her brother to make her breakfast, because "I can't reach." At Willa's urging, Willoughby shows her all the things he can do around their cheery, vibrantly colored home because he's big: from washing the carrot-motif dishes to taking a shower solo. It all sounds very promising to Willa, until she asks, "Will I have to tidy my own toys?" and Willoughby responds with authentic older-brother bluntness, "You'll be too big for toys." Gliori depicts Willa's dawning understanding with a painting of her staring out the window into a monochromatic landscape as she contemplates being "in the world all by myself." Fortunately, Willoughby quickly devises a cure: the final scene, literally from a bird's-eye view, shows brother and sister secure in their mother's embrace under an expansive patchwork quilt. A moving tribute to the sibling ties that bind. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)
