My Sister, the Todzilla (Jacinta Froud, illus Matt Shanks, Affirm)

Many parents and older siblings of toddlers will relate to the premise of Jacinta Froud’s My Sister, the Todzilla – a hilarious and entirely recognisable take on toddler tantrums, presented on an epic scale. The story follows a big brother’s desperate but endearing attempts to calm his baby sister during her “past nap time” meltdowns. However, it seems this snotty, teary, sweaty “Titan of Terror” is unstoppable. Froud’s use of dramatic rhyme and onomatopoeia is impeccable, keeping readers aged 3 to 7 engaged as they anticipate what “Todzilla’s” next outburst will be. Beneath the humour is a thoughtful exploration of emotional awareness, helping children identify feelings and modelling empathy and calm communication between siblings. Matt Shanks’s illustrations elevate the chaos, using expressive visual text alongside monumental depictions of this tiny tyrant – one moment the destroyer of her brother’s block city, the next a gentle, slumbering toddler on a mountain of toys. Shanks (The Most Amazing Thing) uses bright primary colours and comic book–style layouts, complete with dynamic angles and oversized “monster” moments, to perfectly match the humour and energy of Froud’s text. My Sister, the Todzilla masterfully captures the highs and lows of sibling life in a tongue-in-cheek story that also sweetly touches on brotherly love and empathy.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Romi Sharp is a writer and digital marketer. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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