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Margaret & Taylor
Whether it's a matter of balloons, or a present for Grandfather's birthday, older sister Margaret knows just how to get the better of her brother Taylor. Or does she?
Talented author-artist Kevin Henkes proves once again that there is little he does not know about children and their world.
Talented author-artist Kevin Henkes proves once again that there is little he does not know about children and their world.
- GenresChildrens
64 pages, Unbound
First published January 1, 1983
2 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Henkes
149 books1,221 followersKevin Henkes is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 27, 2025
For little brothers with mean older sisters
January 16, 2016
** spoiler alert **
Cerita tentang kakak beradik , Margaret & Taylor. Taylor yang baru berumur 4 tahun vs Margaret yang sang kakak yang manipulatif >_<. Taylor yang lugu manut-manut saja setiap dikerjai kakaknya. Yah begitulah...
Untunglah mereka memiliki keluarga yang hangat dan penuh kasih sayang.
Cerita tentang kakak beradik , Margaret & Taylor. Taylor yang baru berumur 4 tahun vs Margaret yang sang kakak yang manipulatif >_<. Taylor yang lugu manut-manut saja setiap dikerjai kakaknya. Yah begitulah...
Untunglah mereka memiliki keluarga yang hangat dan penuh kasih sayang.
December 28, 2016
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Margaret and Taylor are sister and brother, and this book relates the events that happen to them surrounding their grandfather’s birthday party. From finding a gift for Grandpa, to losing a party balloon, to fighting over a piece of leftover cake, this book captures all the daily joys and trials of having a sibling.
The most remarkable thing about this book is the dialogue. Margaret’s voice is that of the typically bossy and conniving big sister, but Taylor’s voice comes through time and again as that of the little brother who will not let his sister win. The back and forth between these two characters sounds real, and brings to life a relationship that most kids with siblings will find very familiar. Little brothers will rejoice when Taylor occasionally gets the best of his sister, as he does when she forgets about her cake, and he eats it. Big sisters will be secretly tickled when Margaret is able to convince her brother to do something wrong, like open the mail, or when she invents an imaginary friend and makes Taylor feel bad for not being able to see her.
Another really interesting feature of this book is its one nearly-wordless chapter. The entirety of Grandpa’s birthday is told in pictures, with the exception of one page where the word “Surprise!” is written many times over, expressing how the guests greeted Grandpa. The illustrations include details such as the hats, cake, and balloons that figure into later interactions between the two kids as well.
Margaret and Taylor was published in 1983, and it was only Henkes’s third book. Though his work has evolved over the past 30 years, it is interesting to look back on this early title to see how it relates to his more recent books. The “surprise” page reminds me of a similar moment in his picture book, Shhh, from 1989, where a young girl creeps into her parents’ bedroom and wakes them up with a loud chorus of good mornings. The tension between the two siblings makes me think of Lilly’s anger toward her new brother, Julius, in Julius, Baby of the World from 1989. Most of all, his serious, introspective, and thoughtful writing style is present in each of his longer works from 2003’s Olive’s Ocean to this year’s The Year of Billy Miller.
Margaret and Taylor is out of print, but despite its age, it still feels very timeless, like most Henkes books. If you can find a copy in a library, it’s absolutely worth checking it out and sharing it with the Henkes fans in your life. Kids who enjoy this retro title might also be interested in reading Johanna Hurwitz’s series about the Riverside Kids.
Margaret and Taylor are sister and brother, and this book relates the events that happen to them surrounding their grandfather’s birthday party. From finding a gift for Grandpa, to losing a party balloon, to fighting over a piece of leftover cake, this book captures all the daily joys and trials of having a sibling.
The most remarkable thing about this book is the dialogue. Margaret’s voice is that of the typically bossy and conniving big sister, but Taylor’s voice comes through time and again as that of the little brother who will not let his sister win. The back and forth between these two characters sounds real, and brings to life a relationship that most kids with siblings will find very familiar. Little brothers will rejoice when Taylor occasionally gets the best of his sister, as he does when she forgets about her cake, and he eats it. Big sisters will be secretly tickled when Margaret is able to convince her brother to do something wrong, like open the mail, or when she invents an imaginary friend and makes Taylor feel bad for not being able to see her.
Another really interesting feature of this book is its one nearly-wordless chapter. The entirety of Grandpa’s birthday is told in pictures, with the exception of one page where the word “Surprise!” is written many times over, expressing how the guests greeted Grandpa. The illustrations include details such as the hats, cake, and balloons that figure into later interactions between the two kids as well.
Margaret and Taylor was published in 1983, and it was only Henkes’s third book. Though his work has evolved over the past 30 years, it is interesting to look back on this early title to see how it relates to his more recent books. The “surprise” page reminds me of a similar moment in his picture book, Shhh, from 1989, where a young girl creeps into her parents’ bedroom and wakes them up with a loud chorus of good mornings. The tension between the two siblings makes me think of Lilly’s anger toward her new brother, Julius, in Julius, Baby of the World from 1989. Most of all, his serious, introspective, and thoughtful writing style is present in each of his longer works from 2003’s Olive’s Ocean to this year’s The Year of Billy Miller.
Margaret and Taylor is out of print, but despite its age, it still feels very timeless, like most Henkes books. If you can find a copy in a library, it’s absolutely worth checking it out and sharing it with the Henkes fans in your life. Kids who enjoy this retro title might also be interested in reading Johanna Hurwitz’s series about the Riverside Kids.
January 5, 2014
This is not my favorite book by Kevin Henkes, but kindergarteners through third graders will love it. In his portrayal of the relationship between young siblings, he is spot on. Margaret and Taylor are reminiscent of Max and Ruby, with a bossy older sister. Taylor, unlike Max, does not make his own trouble. Margaret does her best to taunt Taylor, and thus will rankle young readers and evoke their strong sense of justice. As a youngest in family order I relate well to Taylor, who puts up with the antics of an older sibling and ends up with the figurative "bigger half". The illustrations are lovely, and the best part of the book.
November 14, 2009
This picture book/novel hybrid really is all heart. Margaret and her younger brother Taylor ring true in everything that they do and say, and the realistic storyline is sweetened considerably by a few pockets of warm insight that make this story something not to be missed. Margaret & Taylor is one of the rare Kevin Henkes books that tends to slip beneath people's radar, which is unfortunate; it is a real winner.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews