Little Big Sister, Big Little Brother

Little Big Sister: Big Little Brother
by Ashley Vercammen, Illustrated by Mario Vianni and P Aplinder Kaur
Published by Home Style Teachers
Review by Shelley A. Leedahl
$25.00 ISBN 9781778152948

As a longtime reviewer, I’ve noted that some progressive children’s writers are publishing books that tell a good story while simultaneously addressing the subject of diversity, whether that’s through stories that highlight cultural diversity; include representations of non-traditional families (ie: same-sex partnerships); spotlight intergenerational relationships; or contain depictions of characters who are differently-abled, ie: an Autistic boy or a visually-impaired girl. I believe this to be a positive trend in the publishing industry, and these inclusive books deliver a much more accurate depiction of what contemporary Canadian schools—and society—really looks like.

Saskatchewan writer and Home Style Teachers’ publisher, Ashley Vercammen, appears to have made it her mission to be inclusive in her illustrated children’s books. She writes about how motherhood can mean many different things, how “family” can also include friends from various cultures, and—in her longer illustrated book, School Readiness—what children can expect when they begin school, and how they should conduct themselves in that sometimes intimidating and/or confusing new setting.

Her illustrated book Little Big Sister: Big Little Brother features adult siblings Olive and Charlie, and it’s ingeniously written from the perspectives of both characters: flip the book over, and you’ll find the same story told from the other sibling’s perspective. Charlie’s the elder sibling by three years. Vercammen writes that “his brain works differently, so sometimes he needs a bit of extra help. He has special needs.” The full-bleed illustrations show a bearded Charlie with shoes “on the wrong feet” and pants “tucked into his socks,” while his little sister guffaws behind her hand.

Charlie is forgetful and “always leaves something behind,” like socks or puzzle pieces. His speech can also be difficult to understand, but “If you listen carefully or know him well, it’s easy peasy”.

The story shows the siblings’ close relationship. Charlie calls Olive daily, cheers her with “pictures of his puzzles and new creations,” and is always keen to “build snow forts, or play card games”. (Note: the cribbage board shown on this page has interesting pegs!)

In Charlie’s flipside story, we learn that he has “some special responsibilities,” like always making sure his sister “remembers birthdays, anniversaries, or important dates”. “Helping Olive is one of my favourite things to do as a big brother,” he says. He also addresses the issue of having others believe he “can’t understand them” (not true), and he shares how it feels to have his speech misunderstood. Gulp.

But here’s the kicker: with some quick Googling I learned that Olive represents the author, Ashley, while her real-life elder brother, Derrick, appears as Charlie in this touching story. A photo of Vercammen standing beside Derrick—both radiate joy—closes the book, and adds a visual exclamation mark. The illustrators have created expressive caricatures to represent the amiable siblings.

The heartwarming and beautifully-produced 44-page softcover was published in 2022. To view a Youtube video of the pair reading the story, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqOEqKAla5Y . You’ll also find a few other video versions of Vercammen’s feel-good books.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM THE SASKATCHEWAN PUBLISHERS GROUP WWW.SKBOOKS.COM