Oh, Brother! is a children’s picture book written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Mike Benny. It was published in 2008 by Greenwillow Books. This book includes 20 poems that captures how two strangers become brothers and the struggles of bringing a family together. This book is most suitable for grades 2-4, but I think readers of all ages could be able to connect to the story. The main theme in this book is family. In this book, Xavier’s mom remarried and he has a new step brother, Chris, that he is not happy about. The poem’s are written in first person, from the point of view of Xavier. In the first few poems, Xavier complains about his brother -how perfect he tries to act, how he makes him look bad, how he feels he’s trying to steal his mom. There was so much I loved about this book. I liked the illustrations which contribute so much to the story. The images were bold and colorful and connected so well to the words. For the poem titled “Showdown”, the illustration takes up a whole page and shows a close up shot of Xavier in Chris’ face with an angry expression and pointing finger while Chris has a tear rolling down his face. Finally, I enjoyed the writing and point of view of this story as it shows the realistic and raw feelings Xavier has towards his step-brother which many students could relate to. Students may also relate to having single parents, being a part of blended families, and struggling with tough emotions. I also enjoyed how the writing was organized and how in just a few pages the author is able to capture the progression from strangers, to resentment, to acceptance, and finally to brotherly love. I loved how it ended - "Our family is a song we sing, and we can add new notes anytime we like." which really encompasses the main themes in this book which are family and relationships. ( )

I enjoyed the book “Oh, Brother!” for a lot of reasons. First, this book is about one of my favorite things to do in my spare time, which is write poetry. The book was fun to read inspired by the concept of having a new brother when a parent gets remarried. I also connected to the book because this was one from my author study and the connection I established with Nikki Grimes made me feel her books more. This was a book that was great to read to children and build on personal situations that many kids can go through. This book relates to so many kids in a way that they can create their own narrative of a similar situation. Overall, I believe that this book does a great job of creating growth for children. ( )

This book is composed of short poems, but they are all woven together to create one whole story. Grimes writes about two boys who are stepbrothers, and they learn to love one another. It started off as Xavier not liking Chris because he thought that Chris was going to replace him. Xavier soon realized that Chris and him have something in common- they both lost a parent. Through this connection, their bond grew stronger as they learn to be a family.
This is an amazing story because not only does it talk about blended families, but there are also Spanish words in here as well. It exposes children to the fact that some people have step-parents and step-siblings, but it also teaches children that family does not have to be blood related. ( )

I liked this book because it discusses a real experience a child may deal with when families join together. Some children may experience parents getting divorces and marrying new people causing their family to grow. Growing families may be difficult for young children to accept. I like how the plot of this book is easy to follow. Xavier is a young Hispanic boy whose mother marries an African American man. Xavier’s new step father has a son which means Xavier will be getting a new step brother. Xavier is not happy about his expanding family and says he will never consider Chris a brother. In the book, Xavier becomes jealous of Chris when his mother shows him attention and can’t stand the fact that he must now share a room. Xavier and Chris are able to connect and relate to one another through the loss of a parent and develop a friendship. Throughout the book Xavier grows to accept his new brother finally calling him his "hermano" which means brother in Spanish. I like how the book is in Xavier’s point of view because it shows how a child may react to a new mother, father, brother, etc. and the blending of families. The big message of this story is to show young readers to accept and encourage differences and the power of family. ( )

Great for learning different types of poems. Different stanzas and line patterns.