Brother Druthers

James has everything a child could want-except built-in playmates. If he had his druthers, he’d have brothers-one, two, maybe more-to build forts with, play baseball with, and share the blame when things go wrong. So James comes up with a clever, child-sized plan to make his brotherly dream come true. But his parents have a plan of their own, and the surprise that follows is not at all what James imagined.

Brother Druthers is a warm and humorous rhyming picture book about wishing, creating, waiting, and discovering that not every family decision is ours to make. With an honest look at the big feelings that arise when children have little control over grown-up decisions, James’s story moves from disappointment and frustration to acceptance, connection, and joy.

Playful, heartfelt, and true to a child’s point of view, this story will resonate with only children, children with siblings, growing families, and young readers learning to move through difficult feelings when life does not go as planned.

Children’s picture book in rhyme for ages 3-10. Themes include family, siblings, expectations, disappointment, emotional adjustment, acceptance, the arrival of new babies, and expressing and managing strong emotions. Additional pearls include mixed ethnic marriage (portrayed in illustrations only), creativity in children, and new vocabulary (druthers).