Sibling relationships are—in a word—complex. Love, hate, joy, friendship, animosity, unity, strife, annoyance (deep, deep annoyance at times) co-exist in a complex quilt—the kind you look at in wonder about how its squares of diverging and contradictory colors and patterns are supposed to work together. In the end, they do somehow, maybe even just because by default they’re stuck together, and will be for the rest of their lives. Miguel Tanco speaks to the relationship between two brothers in YOU AND ME, ME AND YOU: BROTHERS. Its text and illustrations are simple yet nuanced and the book captures the dynamics and contrary aspects of a sibling relationship in a sweetly funny, whimsical and endearing way. It’s a winner.
You and Me, Me and You: Brothers was written and illustrated by Miguel Tanco. It’s been translated into eight languages so far and this US edition will be published by Chronicle Books on November 13.