I Was Born to Be a Brother

"The Michels-Gualtieri siblings have a new baby in the house! These books (with a sing-along CD) depict their journey from being Akaela and Zaydek to being a big sister and a big brother. It’s not always easy, but they work it out to everyone’s happiness. Excellent for children about to become "big.""
-Susy Parker Goins
Natural Family Online, July 2005

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"Washington fifth grader Zaydek Michels-Gualtieri celebrates being a brother with two sisters in I Was Born To Be A Brother. The first person narrator knows it is his job to teach his little sister all the important life skills, such as how to eat ice cream with a straw and how to make the right noises for certain toys. In a voice both playful and honest, the narrator admits to getting mad sometimes at the troublesome tyke. He outlines his plan to build a catapult to send her to the planet Xeron. But at the end he relents, saying that his sister makes him the "best brother in the whole wide world." A charming book about the sibling bond, with Daniel Liegey's illustrations conveying some of its pleasures and pitfalls."
-Mary Quattlebaum
Washington Parent March 2004 "Celebrate March with Books"

"Written by ten-year-old Zaydek G. Michels-Gualtieri, I Was Born To Be A Brotheris the charming true story of a young boy who adapts to having a little sister around the house. Despite their rivalries, there are siblings who know and love one another. Full-color illustrations by Daniel Liegey and an accompanying CD with the story and music make for a cherished and strongly recommended children's picture book tale about "siblinghood" -- and is especially meant to be shared among siblings."
-Midwest Book Review
Oregon, WI

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