The Pain and the Great One

The story

A funny look at sibling rivalry as an eight-year-old girl, “The Great One,” and her six-year-old brother, “The Pain,” state their cases about each other and who is best loved by their parents.

Judy says

One rainy afternoon, when my children were about six and eight, and the house was filled with their friends, I suddenly got an idea. I sat right down and wrote this story. The brother and sister in this book are based on my daughter Randy and son Larry. The cat is our first family pet. Originally published as a poem in “Free to be You and Me,” it later became an illustrated picture book. Randy and Larry, who are grown now, still sometimes refer to each other as “The Pain” and “The Great One.” The characters in this book are the inspiration for the new chapter book series I’m working on now. Click here to read about Soupy Saturdays and other titles in this chapter book series.

Title

This one was easy.

Dedication

To the original Pain and the Great One, my children Randy and Larry.

“Vibrant watercolors add depth and humor to a valuable book on sibling relationships.”
–School Library Journal