In their now familiar pattern (beginning with What Mommies Do Best / What Daddies Do Best, 1998), Numeroff and Munsinger add another flip book with mirrored text and whimsical illustrations to the series about family relations. "Sisters can help you climb a tree, push you on a swing, and share a delicious snack." "Brothers can teach you how to swim, do a puzzle with you . . . play pretend." And of course, best of all, they give one another love. The boys' activities pictured often seem a bit more adventurous and exciting than the girls', which makes for interesting discussions comparing the two.

Numeroff's flip-the-book celebrates the special talents of big brothers and big sisters: they can teach a favorite sport, share a snack, help with chores, and deliberately lose at tic-tac-toe. Munsinger's different yet equally playful interpretations of the identical texts will resonate with siblings of many ages.

This lighthearted companion book to <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best can be flipped over and read from either direction as brother and sister animals playfully engage with one another. On one side, a brother pig assists his piglet sibling (“Brothers can help you climb a tree, push you on a swing, and share a delicious snack”), while a brother lamb and his sister make music, play pretend and build a clay castle. Meanwhile, on the flipside a sister lion teaches her younger sibling how to swim, while an older dog helps clean a messy room and consoles her sister when her baseball team loses a game. Both stories end with the cheery message that “best of all,” siblings “can give you lots and lots of love!” Ages 4–8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

PreS-Gr 2 The creative team behind What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best (S & S, 1998) scores again. In an understated text that is the same for both siblings, the book shows all the good things about having an older brother or sister, such as teaching you how to swim, helping to clean your room, playing pretend, and being there when you need them. Munsinger's delightful watercolor illustrations are stories in themselves and really deliver the message. The children are represented by various cuddly-looking animals including pigs, bears, lions, tigers, koalas, and pandas. This would be a great book to share with a child who is anticipating a new sibling or who needs to be reminded of the perks of being the older one. Each situation shown would also be a great jumping-off point for a creative-writing project for primary grades. Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR