I Wish I Was Sick, Too!

A sweet tale about kindness, jealousy, and fairness perfect for reading when a child is sick or well.

Edward is sick and Elizabeth is well, and nothing could be more unfair! Edward gets to stay in bed and everyone treats him like a prince. Elizabeth has to get out of bed, get dressed, go to school, come home and do chores, finish her homework and practice the piano. "I wish I was sick too!" Elizabeth complains, and soon, to her dawning dismay, her wish is granted. Jealousy and kindness, fairness and responsibility, the passionate complaints and pleasures of childhood are well represented here by a close-knit and surprisingly intellectual cat family, drawn with good humor and sympathy by the illustrator-author couple, Aliki and Franz Brandenberg. The perfect book to read when you're sick, or when you're well and wish you were sick too.

Franz Brandenberg, born in Switzerland, is the author of many picture books and Read-Alone books based on his childhood and that of his children. Most of his books are illustrated by his wife, Aliki, and include stories about Edward and Elizabeth (I Wish I Was Sick, Too! and No School Today!), a series about Aunt Nina, the adventures of Leo and Emily (such as What's Wrong with a Van?), and the popular Fieldmouse family (Six New Students and others).

Aliki has written and illustrated sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, which are read throughout the world and reflect her many interests and her love of family, travel, and life. She has also illustrated more than 150 books by other authors, including those of her husband, Franz Brandenberg. Aliki grew up in Philadelphia in a warm and talented Greek family. Her path was set in kindergarten when her teacher said she would be an artist someday. Aliki and Franz, longtime residents of London, now live in New York.