Free Kid to Good Home

A comic-style chapter book about sibling rivalry and a child’s impulse to run away from home—and come back again!

“When my potato-faced baby brother arrived, I realized I needed a new family. No one seemed to mind when I packed my bag. I took a box and used my best handwriting to write ‘FREE KID’, then waited for some new parents to take me home.”

Waiting in a box like an abandoned pet and encountering the passersby changes the girl’s perspective. At the end of the day, when her parents pretend they need an older sister for their new baby, she is ready to leave her box and go happily back home.

This comical twist on sibling rivalry is translated from an enduring Japanese bestseller, now in its 31st edition and at last available in English.

This accessible story is perfect for children starting on independent reading and is illustrated in a graphic comic style that captures childlike subversive humour. Ideal for fans of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip.

A useful book to teach young children about welcoming a new baby sibling to the family, or exploring playful sibling relationships, through funny and lighthearted storytelling.

“"A girl clad in a white shirt and a big red bow meets her baby brother, Daichan, who looks 'just like a potato,' for the first time in this humorous comic. Less than impressed, she runs away from home to find a family who appreciates her, 'with parents who will love me, and only me.' After finding a cardboard box and penning 'Free Kid' on the side, she attempts to attract a new family by tooting a horn and waving flags proclaiming 'cute kid!' Her methods bear no fruit, so she waits patiently ('No one's going to feel sorry for a kid who's dancing'), and is soon joined by a dog, cat, and turtle. When her companions are taken in and the girl is left alone, she begins to suspect it wouldn't be so bad being a big sister to a potato. Simple line drawings with bold red accents against a white background provide visual gentleness, and the narrative recalls Shel Silverstein's poem 'One Sister for Sale.' In his first English translated work, Ito's deadpan humor and the characters' emotive facial expressions inject jocularity in a welcome exploration of the anxiety that some children face in response to siblinghood."--Publishers Weekly”

"an instant classic."

"Ito uses words and pictures with equal skill to craft this hilariously willful little visionary."

"a light, engaging tale that will appeal to comic book fans and all young readers who have secretly (or not so secretly) resented the arrival of a potato-faced baby to the family."

"young readers...will be rewarded by getting to know this can-do narrator."

Hiroshi Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan, and graduated from Waseda University with a degree in education. He began creating picture books while still a student and has since published many award-winning books.

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