9 Picture Books About Brothers and Sisters

On a cold, quiet night, sisters Allie and Alex (or Nimise and Nishiimi, the Ojibway names they call themselves) set out across the winter north country in search of the SkySpirits, or the Northern Lights. Lying on snow-covered Coyote Hill, they watch the sky fill with dazzling colors, which looks very much to them like two sisters dancing.

In the Acerra family of eighteen, there were twelve baseball-playing sons. With their father as coach, the nine oldest brothers formed a semi-professional team in 1938, drawing big crowds wherever they played. The brothers loved the game but also loved their siblings. Their kindness and generosity towards each other helped them become the longest-playing all-brother baseball team in history.

Faizah looks up to her older sister Asiya and is excited for her sister’s first day of wearing hijab on the first day of school. But when the sisters arrive at school, not everyone sees the strength and beauty of Asiya’s blue hijab. Throughout the day at school Faizah sees others question and make fun of her sister, but Asiya and Faizah find strength in themselves and each other and leave hurtful words behind.

A lonely young girl hoping for a sister has her prayers answered, though finds that a new baby can’t yet participate in all the adventures she had planned. So she waits, and in time, her patience and kindness are rewarded with a companion for life. The sisters become partners in imagination, creating crazy concoctions in the kitchen, pretending to be mermaids, and playing President and Vice President.

All relationships have their ups and downs. With these two brothers, their relationship is often a paradox: “A brother is someone you run with… and run from.” But a brother is also someone you learn from and this younger sibling has a lot to say about all the things he’s learned about brotherhood.

A young boy follows his older sister into the woods in search of treasure. According to the big sister, something can only be treasure if it is shiny, mysterious, and precious. He picks up great treasures — a feather, an acorn, and a milkweed pod, but that’s not what his sibling is looking for. Beginning to doubt that there is a treasure, the boy continues to follow his sister and is rewarded with an amazing treasure that they can’t put in their pockets but will carry back in their memories of this adventure.

Before they were world famous athletes, Venus and Serena Williams were little girls with big dreams. Serena wanted to be just like her sister and begged her father to go to the tennis courts, where together they practiced the game six days a week. As they grew and improved, Venus and Serena soon found themselves frequently competing against each other, but their close bond holds fast.

Identical twin sisters Ling and Ting may look alike, but Ling and Ting think and do things differently whether it is making dumplings, trying magic tricks, or telling silly stories. This is the first title in this early reader series that features the adventures of this lively pair who embrace their individuality, but always stick together.