Sammy's epic bad day is followed by loneliness when, preoccupied by autistic brother Benji's moods, his family barely notices. But Benji does notice, and he reaches out to his big brother in his own special way. The spare text and sweeping acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations capture the emotions of both an autistic child and his sometimes-overlooked sibling. A spot-on and heartwarming snapshot of sibling connection.

Who wins in a competition for attention with a sibling with autism? It's not a "who," it's a "what": brotherly love.It seems the universe is conspiring against Sammy. He is fed up with trouble at school, a pizza shortage, a missed bus stop, and rain, and he gets home only to be ignored because Benji is having a bad day and has retreated to his box. Sammy reminisces about better times and blueberry smoothies, but when he starts crying over spilled milk, Benji leaves his cardboard sanctuary to snuggle his brother in a blue-blanket burrito, demonstrating that love is a never-fail remedy for bad days. Vibrant, full-color illustrations in acrylic and colored pencil, punctuated by his monochromatic memories, accompany the first-person narrative. On face-to-face wordless pages, Min lets readers see a woeful Sammy through the narrow window in Benji's box, ensuring Benji's agency. Giving order and structure to what can be an unpredictable world, the wooden inhabitants of Benji's block city march across the title page, scatter about the story, and finally line up in columns and rows on the back of the book jacket. Pla selects a common theme, the power of familial love to overcome adversity, and deftly moves the challenges of autism to a supporting detail rather than a distracting focus in this simple picture book. That Min depicts this family as people of color further broadens this story's inclusive reach.An ordinary story is given a spark of life by the inclusion of an empathetic little brother with autism. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Sammy, a boy with floppy black hair, had a bad day at school, and back home, he feels overlooked. Sammy-s mother tells him to be quiet-his brother, Benji, is playing in his small, house-shaped -box,- a sign that he, too, is having a rough day. -When I-ve had a bad day, no one tiptoes or speaks softly,- Sammy laments. But when Benji sees that his brother is sad, he comforts him in the best way he knows. In Min-s acrylic and colored pencil art, figures and forms resembling cut paper are set against calm brushed backgrounds. Pla doesn-t overtly state that Benji is autistic (an author-s note explores the topic further) but emphasizes his behaviors and qualities. With a light touch, Pla offers a thoughtful reminder that all siblings need extra love and attention sometimes. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)