Julius, the Baby of the World

The baby of the world is anything but that to his big sister Lilly—until Cousin Garland dares to criticize him. A classic, evergreen picture book about new siblings and self-esteem by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kevin Henkes. When baby Julius is born, his parents think he is just perfect. “Julius is the baby of the world,” they chime as they kiss him and admire him.
But Lilly is Julius’s older sister, and she knows differently. “I am the queen,” says Lilly. “And I hate Julius.” Poor Julius. And poor Lilly, because her selfish behavior is making her miserable, too. Can anyone persuade Lilly that her brother really is the baby of the world? This funny picture book classic from the beloved Kevin Henkes explores sibling rivalry and self-esteem in a genuine and approachable way. The carefully crafted text is perfect for reading aloud and story times, and the artwork, in Julius, the Baby of the World and across all of Kevin Henkes’s mouse books, is playful, funny, inviting, and timeless. “It’s hard to imagine a more enjoyable way to approach the sensitive issue of sibling rivalry.” —ALA Booklist (starred review) Kevin Henkes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who has been awarded the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon, two Caldecott Honors, two Newbery Honors, two Geisel Honors, the Children’s Literature Lecture Award, and Children’s Literature Legacy Award, among numerous other honors. Favorites from his body of work include the picture books Waiting, A Parade of Elephants, and The World and Everything in It, and the novels for middle grade readers Olive’s Ocean, Bird Lake Moon, and the Miller Family Stories. Kevin Henkes’s classic and bestselling mouse books include:

Kevin Henkes has been praised both as a writer and as an illustrator and is the recipient of the Children's Literature Legacy Award for his lasting contribution to literature for children. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; Newbery Honors for Olive's Ocean and The Year of Billy Miller; and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include Is It Spring?, The World and Everything in It, A House, A Parade of Elephants, Chrysanthemum, and the beloved Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.