My Life Begins!

An only child until the age of nine, Jacob Black views his solitary baby picture on the living room wall as “lonely” and wishes for a litter of puppies, like his friend Bella has. Instead, he gets a “litter of Trips,” as he affectionately calls his new baby sisters, triplets Charlotte, Katherine, and Elizabeth. Late Newbery Medalist MacLachlan’s slender, resonant novel traces Jacob’s adjustment to life as an older brother in his own calm and reasonable, often questioning, voice as well as in his documentation of the Trips’ growth (unnaturally swift—they crawl and drink juice out of sippy cups within months) for a school research project. MacLachlan’s understated language is effective and evocative, the characters consistently thoughtful and kind. The conflict-free story takes measured steps through Jacob’s small inner discoveries, his formation of a new identity as older sibling, and his growing relationships with each of his sisters. Miyares’s (Big and Small and In-Between) inky, sketchlike b&w art enhances the book’s tender tone. Characters present as racially ambiguous. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Aug.)