”Mail Harry to the moon!” is just one of the suggestions made by the narrator, who's suffering the displacement blues since the arrival of his annoying, attention-hogging baby brother. “Before Harry, nobody but <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">me sat on Grandma's lap,” he mourns. “Yesterday, Harry did. So I said, 'Put Harry back inside Mommy.' ” But when the boy believes that Mommy and Daddy really have taken him up on the moon idea, his attitude changes dramatically. Harris and Emberley (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Happy Birth Day!) are old hands at striking the right balance between comic Sturm und Drang and genuine poignancy, and their considerable talents make this otherwise familiar tale feel fresh and funny—and psychologically true. Emberley's cartooning brims with terrific shtick—he gives the hero some slow burns and outbursts worthy of Ralph Kramden. Kids will particularly appreciate Emberley's gift for staging: the final sequence, in which the narrator sets off for the moon (a laundry basket serves as rocket, a colander as space helmet), blows out any vestige of sentimentality with its full-throttle energy. Ages 3–6. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)

PreS-Gr 1 New siblings will easily relate to the angst that baby Harry causes for his older brother. "Before Harry, nobody grabbed my gorilla and chewed on its nose. Yesterday, Harry did. Before Harry, nobody but ME sat on Grandma's lap. Yesterday, Harry did." To restore order to his once peaceful household, the boy suggests a variety of solutions. "Flush Harry down the toilet!... Stick Harry in the zoo!... Mail Harry to the moon!" One morning the house is strangely quiet, and the older sibling worries that his parents have actually sent helpless Harry to outer space. Climbing in his laundry basket spaceship, he achieves a daring rescue and even lets Harry sit on his lap for the ride home. Emberley's strong visual punch lines bring the humor to life, and the older boy's expressions clearly get his feelings across. Young listeners are sure to giggle at the various predicaments that Harry's brother envisions for him. Mail Harry to the Moon will have broad appeal for those with or without a new baby in the family. Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

Baby Harry's screaming and attention-hogging irk his big brother, who announces that Harry should be thrown away, flushed, and--finally--sent to the moon. When he can't find Harry, though, he fears that his parents have heeded his words. This jealous-of-a-new-sibling book rises above others on the topic with its childlike narrative and fresh, funny illustrations that track the narrator-brother's emotional about-face.

With keen understanding and a comic touch, Harris addresses the trials and travails of adjusting to a new baby in the house. Told with all the snappish disdain of an older sibling, Harris's protagonist laments the bygone days before his little brother's arrival. His laundry list of misdeeds inflicted by his litter brother includes nibbling on toys that do not belong to him and usurping the cozy comfort of Grandma's lap. With each infraction, Harry's big brother suggests solutions to the problem of Harry that become increasingly extreme, resulting in his demand that Harry be sent into orbit. Harris keeps her text simple and straightforward. While adults may cringe at the sentiments of the disenfranchised sibling—"Flush Harry down the toilet!"—young readers will relate. Emberley's illustrations comically convey Harry's brother's rising disgruntlement. His over-the-top characterizations of the exaggerated requests will elicit gales of giggles from all readers, regardless of their birth order. (Picture book. 3-6)