It's Not Fair

Books that address sibling rivalry are already abundantly available, but It's Not Fair! manages to offer a fresh perspective on the theme. The heroine of this story is a young kangaroo, who is acutely sensitive to the injustices her parents perpetrate when they treat her new brother differently from her. ""If he makes a mess, it's all right,'' she complains. ``If I make a mess, I get into trouble. That's not fair!'' When he grows up a little, however, little brother gets his comeuppance, to his sister's infinite satisfaction. ``When I go to playgroup, my brother wants to go too,'' she says gleefully, ``but he can't. He doesn't think that's fair at all.'' The point is well taken, and Hellard's watercolors are expressive and evocative. For a change, this book addresses the woes of the generally much-maligned younger sibling as well as those of the dethroned senior. (1-5)