Julius, the Baby of the World - by Kevin Henkes

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The baby of the world is anything but that to his big sister--until Cousin Garland dares to criticize him.

When baby Julius is born, his parents think he is just perfect. "Julius is the baby of the world," they chime as they kiss him and admire him.

But Lilly is Julius's older sister, and she knows differently. "I am the queen," says Lilly. "And I hate Julius."

Poor Julius. And poor Lilly, because her selfish behavior is making her miserable, too. Can anyone persuade Lilly that her brother really is the baby of the world?

This funny picture book classic from the beloved Kevin Henkes explores sibling rivalry and children's sometimes fragile self-esteem in a real and approachable way. Share this book at home or at circle time--with or without siblings, kids ages 3-7 will relate to the emotions and enjoy the story.

From the Back Cover

The riotously funny Lilly, last seen in Chester's Way (Greenwillow), thinks her new baby brother, Julius, is disgusting -- if he was a number, he would be zero. But when Cousin Garland dares to criticize Julius, Lilly bullies her into loudly admiring Julius as the baby of the world.

"Julius is the baby of the world," said his parents. But Lilly, his older sister, disagreed. She thought he was disgusting. She hoped he would go away. But he didn't. He stayed and stayed and stayed. Nothing her parents said or did could change Lilly's mind about Julius. But when Cousin Garland had a thing or two to say about the situation, Lilly had a change of heart.

Review Quotes

"A reassuring, funny book for all young children who suffer from new-sibling syndrome." -- School Library Journal (starred review)