Big Brother

On a hot July train crossing the prairie, three-year-old Robin asks for blackberries while his older brother keeps hold of his feet. The children are travelling west with an aid society that places them in homes in Kansas. Amid the bustle of the carriage, the older boy's grave expression gives a different weight to their trip. Annie Fellows Johnston's Big Brother follows the care between siblings as they face a new home and its expectations.

At Grandma and Grandpa Dearborn's farmhouse, Steven worries about Robin whenever his weekly trips take him away. Robin leaves a trail of small disasters, from a button in cake batter to calves getting into the garden through an open gate. An orchard scene turns a bee sting into a strange little funeral, complete with a caterpillar procession. The story pairs these comic incidents with Steven's watchful concern, offering a view of childhood in which an older brother carries responsibilities alongside his affection.