Sporting a mop belted to his head, an orange towel cape, and a diaper, Iggy the Brobarian is the younger of these two gladiator brothers. Older brother Otto the Big Brobarian prefers a blue towel cape, a viking hat complete with horns, and a t-shirt that says Tough Guy on it.
But what terrible thing caused these two Brobarians to turn against each other? A broken cookie jar and each blamed the other for the mishap. Now at war, younger Brobarian Iggy, master of a rattle-shaped sword, seized the great warrior Otto's plastic army. Consulting his advisors, a stuffie and the family dog, Otto waits for just the right moment to strike back at Iggy, not just stealing his most precious bottle, but drinking it all up - every last drop. The result is a true clash of the titans.
Will these two mighty warriors ever make up and restore peace in their realms? Or will it take the neutral arbitrator Mamabarian to bring them together in the a nice warm bubbly negotiating bath?
Brobarians is a really humorous, warmhearted look at sibling rivalry, a book any reader, young and old, who has a brother or sister can appreciate. I can remember drawing a crayon line down the center of the bedroom I shared with my sister and how much trouble we got in for doing that, and yes, we pointed the finger at each other, just as Otto and Iggy do.
So, Brobarians is really a true-to-life tale, (and probably also a tale as old a time). I found myself laughing out loud the first time I read it, but the real test was with the young readers I read it to who absolutely loved Otto and Iggy. I think it was not just the story about these two brothers that appealed to them, but also the boys vivid imaginative playing and especially their warrior costumes.
To add to the fun, author/illustrator Lindsay Ward's page-turning illustrations were done with cut paper, pencil and crayon giving them a rather playful feeling, as though created from a kid's point of view. My kids loved discovering and talking about the different toys the boys used that are found on each page.
Brobarians is a lot of fun and is a book that kids will want to hear again and again (and I know this for a fact), and might even prompt only children to declare, as one of my young readers did, "oh, man, I wish I had a brother."
Lindsay Ward would never have written this book if she hadn't stayed up late one night watching Conan the Barbarian. She finds the idea of baby barbarians to be very funny...and hopes you do too. Lindsay's recent books include Rosco vs. the Baby and The Importance of Being 3. Most days you can find her writing and sketching at home in Ohio with her family. Learn more about her at www.lindsaymward.com or on Twitter: @lindsaymward
This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Two Lions
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