I Want a Sister

My Little Princess

by Tony Ross

When she is told that her parents are expecting a new addition to the family, the stroppy and opinionated Little Princess immediately announces that she does not want a brother,they are smelly and rough, and they have all the wrong toys. But she has to learn that you can't choose your sibling. Also available in this series are I Want My Potty, I Want My Dinner Want My Present and I Want to Be.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Princesses

22 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Tony Ross is a British illustrator and author of children's picture books. He was a student at the Liverpool School of Art and Design. Ross has had quite a few occupations, such as cartoonist, graphic designer, art director at an advertising agency, senior lecturer in art and head of the illustration course at Manchester Polytechnic.
Ross won the 1986 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, picture books category, for Ich komm dich holen!, (I'm coming to get you! - Andersen, 1984. He was runner-up for the 1990 Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject, for Dr. Xargle's book of Earth Tiggers.

Meet the illustrator
What is your favourite animal?
A cat
What is your favourite boy’s name?
Bill
What is your favourite girl’s name?
Roxanne
What is your favourite food?
Lobster
What is your favourite music?
Irish
What is your favourite hobby?
Sailing

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story, the Little Princess really, really wants the new royal baby to be a girl. She just doesn't want a brother. Even after all her arguments about why boys and brothers are bad in general are all contradicted by the adults of the household, she still insists that she wants a sister, and reminds her mom when she goes to the hospital to bring back a baby girl!

Well, the queen ends up having a little prince. I don't know how things are going to go from here on out, but the kid seems happy enough after her parents convince her that they don't need another little princess because they already have her. I can see this being of use for kids who are facing the impending arrival of a sibling... but it doesn't go much further than that. Sibling rivalry isn't really addressed (and with all of the Little Princess's preconceived notions about boys, there's probably going to be some friction in the castle).

I enjoyed this a little more than I Want a Friend!, but I still think some of the other books in this series are better.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't anything earth-shattering, but it came across my desk and I couldn't shelve it without reading. So I read it. And I enjoyed it. I especially appreciated the fact that the royals seemed so...normal! The illustrations weren't exactly my cup of tea, but they are bright and colorful and would probably appeal very nicely to most children. My biggest complaint was that the last page didn't seem to make sense with the rest of the story. I mean, it clearly showed the princess was accepting the change...but I wasn't really sure what change she was accepting.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, the woes of learning that your family is going to have a NEW baby. What if you are used to being the ONLY baby!

The delightfully demanding Little Princess, star of this series by brilliant Tony Ross. Oboy! This Little Princess has a new problem.

Her mother is having a baby. As usual, Little Princess wants to control everybody else in her world. Including the brother or sister to be.

The ending is sweet, and not the predictably pat ending I've encountered in many picture books, with an instantaneous sibling turnaround by the final page.

Oh yes, this is one more FIVE STAR book, written and illustrated by Tony Ross.

[Viviane Elbee]

The little princess wants a sister - and when she discovers her parents (the king and queen) are expecting a new baby, she reminds them she wants a sister. She has all sorts of excuses for not wanting a brother, and even says she'll put him in the dustbin!
The little princess is harsh on younger brothers up until the second to last page, but I'm not sure how to feel about the somewhat abrupt ending.

[Sahuna Imran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, the books as well as the cartoon and I love Little princess's accent in the cartoon. The illustrations are beautiful, just because she is a princess she doesn't needs to be dolled up the whole time. She is as messy as a child can be.
Her mother is about to have a baby and she wants a baby sister and nobody can seem to change her mind.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of no word books but this one grabbed me about a young boy who is distratced from his computer by an older person building something. He then uses the materials to create a world of his own. imagitive and engaging. right toddler and up

[Ian McHugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little princess wants a little sister - another princess. She gets a little prince for a little brother instead. Ross' signature illustrations add to the feel here. Florence liked the Prime Minister on a trike - "he looks funny" she said.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine but not outstanding storytime book. The ending with the potty is a reference to other books in the "Little Princess" series, I believe, and while it is OK on its own, it isn't a particularly stellar ending if you haven't read those.

[Ad Astra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly obnoxious and funny. Which I think sums up the whole situation of introducing the whole new sibling thing.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parents review: Some parents might have to deal with the gender preference of the coming sibling. In the book, the little princess wanted another baby sister. Not a brother, she said. And throughout the book, she gave reasons for not wanting a brother and what how she will throw the brother in the trash can if the baby is to be a boy. In the end, she got a baby brother and fell in love with the baby all the same. This is a nice story and might be a good introduction book if your child prefers one gender over the other.

[Donna]

I WANT A SISTER (A LITTLE PRINCESS STORY) I sincerely loved the characters depicted through Tony Ross's adorable and amusing illustrations. This book, about a princess who insisted her expectant sibling HAD to be a sister, was fun from beginning to end. I was confused about the subplot conveyed through the illustrations, of cats packing luggage. Maybe I'm dense, but that metaphor (?) went right over my crowned head. Maybe I'm just dense! lol Other than that, good stuff!

[Huda Fel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now the queen is pregnant and out little princess wants it to be a baby girl

[Amy Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but not that good no real story

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable, but that didn't make it any less funny.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think some kids have the gift of prediction---and others fail. :) I liked the background characters and guessing at matching social titles with family members. :]

[Lauren Salerno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keywords: siblings, new baby, gender

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prentenboekje over het krijgen van een broertje of zusje. Een hele spannende ervaring voor een kind.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Jesse Crooker]

I could really connect with this book, when my mother got pregnant, I was hoping for a girl, I wanted a little sister so badly, when I found out my mom was having my little brother, I was so upset, but once she brought the baby home, everything changed and I learned how to accept my little brother!