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Miles Is a Mighty Brothersaurus
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sensitive sibling tale underscores "be yourself" theme.
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What's the Story?
In MILES IS A MIGHTY BROTHERSAURUS, Miles wants to use Saturday to play with his dinosaurs, but his family's going to his older brother Scotty's baseball game. When Scotty taunts him and tosses him a ball, Miles misses the catch, and the ball knocks down all Scotty's sports trophies. Miles stays behind with Grandpa to clean up the mess and talks to Grandpa about how he doesn't have any medals and his feeling that no one cares what he does. In an attempt to find something he excels at, Miles tries his hand at painting, playing the trombone, and building a doghouse but fails at all. Grandpa suggests that his knowledge about dinosaurs is what gives him pleasure and that he should always do what he loves.
Is It Any Good?
This book handles the theme "be yourself," a frequent one in kids' books, directly and somewhat obviously. Miles, the middle brother of three, compares himself with his brothers and despairs when his accomplishments fall short. On the plus side, Miles' feelings are recognizable ones often felt by kids, and the adults are depicted as loving and helpful, modeling ways to talk about feelings and offer support. But it reads a bit too much like a story drafted to address an issue.
Some story turns might inadvertently send a discouraging message. Seeking to outdo his brothers, Miles tries painting, playing the trombone, and building a doghouse, and when he immediately fails, he gives up. But for kids, visual art is about process, not product; musical instruments require instruction and practice to master; and few 6-year-olds could build a viable doghouse without a strong guiding hand from an adult. Still, it could help start conversations about siblings and feeling overlooked.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about siblings. Do you sometimes compare yourself with your siblings or others and think they do things better than you?
What interests or activities do you like best? What gives you the most happiness?
Do you have an adult like Grandpa, someone you can talk to and who helps you figure out your feelings and your strengths?
Book Details
- Authors: Samantha Kurtzman-Counter , Abbie Schiller
- Illustrator: Valentina Ventimiglia
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: The Mother Company
- Publication date: April 1, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 30
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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