View source for Chloe, Instead by Micah Player

{{infobox2
|title=Chloe, Instead
|author=Micah Player
|reviewer=Ruth Ng
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0811878654
|pages=32
|publisher=Chronicle Books
|date=February 2012
|aznuk=0811878651
|aznus=0811878651
|cover=0811878651
|website=http://paperrifle.com/
|video=
|summary=A lovely, stylish and colourful story about the reality versus a child's expectations of being an older brother or sister.
}}
When Molly imagined her little sister she thought she'd be someone just like her, but instead she got Chloe!  Molly loves to draw, Chloe loves to eat the crayons!  Molly loves books, and so does Chloe but in a rather more page-ripping way!  This lovely story looks at an older sibling trying to cope with her shattered expectations of what having a little sister would be like.

The gorgeous, vibrant colours are the first thing that really stand out about this book.  Warm and bright throughout, the illustrations really seem to leap out as you read.  The artwork is unusual, and the characters have wonderfully large, expressive eyes.  Molly is a great older sister character, dressed nicely, behaving nicely, in comparison to Chloe who is an instantly recognisable mischievous toddler with her fingers into everything, causing havoc wherever she goes!

I think it's a great idea to show the realities of the problems younger siblings can cause.  You see Chloe spoiling not just Molly's things, but generally making a mess around the house and causing trouble elsewhere too.  Molly's reaction too, once pushed to the edge, is very believable and refreshing as she screams out Chloe's name, her face screwed up in anger, and then just as quickly she is sitting alone and feeling terrible for shouting at her little sister and scaring her away.  Molly's solution is a good one - she plays her piano for Chloe to dance to, getting Chloe to dance quickly and slowly, high and low, so that they are playing together and enjoying being together.  The final images are quite moving, with the two girls in their twin beds and then Chloe climbs out of her bed and goes to get in with Molly, and so you see them snuggled up happily together at the end.

The text is simply written and very clear.  It makes it a very short read, but it's a nice book to go back through again and, of course, if you have children in a similar familial situation as Molly and Chloe then there is plenty to talk about!  There's an absence of any parental figures throughout, which makes it interesting as it's Molly who has to come to terms with Chloe's character and behaviour by herself, and find the solution to keeping Chloe occupied so she's not causing trouble.  This is a great book to share with older siblings who perhaps experience frustration with the little ones from time to time!

If you're preparing for the arrival of a new sibling then try [[There's a House Inside My Mummy by Giles Andreae and Vanessa Cabban]].

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