Me and the Boss: A Story About Mending and Love

By Emanuel Berger | November 9 2022 | BlogChildren's

All the highs and lows of having a bossy, protective, and loving older sibling are depicted in this heartwarming picture book by a critically acclaimed author and award-winning illustrator.  Meet Lee, a little boy who won’t give up until he learns how to sew, and Zora, the sister who watches him try–and ultimately succeed!

“I know big sisters. Zora, the boss, she’s mine,” explains Lee as he and Zora head to the library, where Mrs. C is teaching the children how to sew. Though Zora sews a beautiful flower on her cloth square, little Lee makes a mess out of the half-moon he is trying to stitch. That night, when he can’t sleep, he gives sewing another try…and succeeds, even mending the hole in his pants pocket! The next morning, he sneaks into Zora’s room and sews the ear back on Bess, her stuffed bear. When Zora discovers Bess, she wraps Lee in her special big sister hug–for just a moment–and then is back to being the boss once again. An acclaimed author and a Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award-winning illustrator create a funny, oh-so-true portrait of a brother and sister’s relationship in this winning picture book.

Michelle Edwards is the author of numerous picture books, including A Hat for Mrs. Goldman, which received four starred reviews and was hailed as “heartwarming” by the New York Times. Her other titles include Chicken Man, winner of the National Jewish Book Award; Max Makes a Cake, illustrated by Charles Santoso; and Room for the Baby, illustrated by Jana Christy. A lifelong knitter, Michelle has also written an adult title, A Knitter’s Home Companion. She lives in Iowa City, Iowa. Visit her at michelledwards.com.

April Harrison, a renowned folk artist, is the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning illustrator of Patricia C. McKissack’s final picture book, What Is Given from the Heart, which received four starred reviews and which the New York Times Book Review called an “exquisite story of generosity.” Most recently, she illustrated Alicia D. William’s Shirley Chisholm Dared, as well as Tricia Elam Walker’s Nana Akua Goes to School, which also received four starred reviews. Her work appears in the public collections of Vanderbilt University, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Erskine University Museum and in many private collections. April lives in South Carolina. Visit her at april-harrison.com.

Enjoy this Activity Sheet

Enjoy these sewing workshop instructions for stores and libraries 

A Story About Mending and Love
9780593310670
CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR AWARD WINNERCHARLOTTE ZOLOTOW AWARD WINNERAll the highs and lows of having a bossy, protective, and loving older sibling are depicted in this heartwarming picture book by a critically acclaimed author and award-winning illustrator.  Meet Lee, a little boy who won't give up until he learns how to sew, and Zora, the sister who watches him try--and ultimately succeed!
$18.99 US
Oct 11, 2022
8-1/2 x 11
Hardcover
40 Pages
Anne Schwartz Books
Age 4-8 years

A Story About Knitting and Love
9780553497106
A heartwarming winter picture book featuring multicultural characters that's sure to appeal to families who enjoy knitting.
$18.99 US
Oct 11, 2016
8 x 10
Hardcover
40 Pages
Anne Schwartz Books
Age 4-8 years

9780375836152
This final, magnificent picture book from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author Patricia McKissack is a poignant and uplifting celebration of the joy of giving. "[An] exquisite story of generosity... Harrison has created soft yet dazzling illustrations for this tribute to faith, hope and the African-American community." -- New York Times Book Review
$18.99 US
Jan 08, 2019
8-1/2 x 11
Hardcover
40 Pages
Schwartz & Wade
Age 4-8 years

9780525581130
Winner of the 2021 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award! In this moving story that celebrates cultural diversity, a shy girl brings her West African grandmother--whose face bears traditional tribal markings--to meet her classmates. This is a perfect read for back to school!
$18.99 US
Jun 16, 2020
10-1/2 x 10-1/2
Hardcover
40 Pages
Anne Schwartz Books
Age 4-8 years

The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress
9780593123683
Discover the inspiring story of the first black woman elected to Congress and to run for president in this picture book biography from a Newbery Honor-winning author and a Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award-winning illustrator.
$17.99 US
Jun 01, 2021
9 x 11
Hardcover
48 Pages
Anne Schwartz Books
Age 4-8 years

9780399549045
In their first collaboration since the Newbery Medal- and Caldecott Honor-winning Last Stop on Market Street, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson deliver a poignant and timely new picture book that's sure to be an instant classic.
$18.99 US
Oct 09, 2018
9 x 10
Hardcover
40 Pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Age 4-8 years