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Free Kid To Good Home is a comic-style chapter book about sibling rivalry and a child’s impulse to run away from home – and come back again! Through funny and lighthearted storytelling, this is a useful book to teach young children about welcoming a new baby sibling to the family or exploring playful sibling relationships.
“When my potato-faced baby brother arrived, I realized I needed a new family. No one seemed to mind when I packed my bag. I took a box and used my best handwriting to write ‘FREE KID’, then waited for some new parents to take me home.”
Waiting in a box like an abandoned pet and encountering the passersby changes the girl’s perspective. At the end of the day, when her parents pretend they need an older sister for their new baby, she is ready to leave her box and go happily back home.
This comical twist on sibling rivalry is translated from an enduring Japanese bestseller, now in its 31st edition and available in English.
This accessible story is perfect for children starting on independent reading and is illustrated in a graphic comic style that captures childlike subversive humour.
Take a look at the reviews from our Young Readers for Free Kid To Good Home by Hiroshi Ito below 
Book review from Dani-Nicole, aged 10
This was a funny story about a little kid who was not happy when her mum brought a new baby home because the baby was super annoying and cried all the time and took her mum’s attention away. So she decided to leave home and sit in a box with a sign that said FREE KID and try to find a new family.
I found this story really funny because I have a little brother and a baby sister and they annoy me so much sometimes I feel like I could just run away and find myself a new home too!
Book review from Ihaia, aged 8
Free Kid to Good Home tells the story of a little girl who thinks she doesn’t get enough attention because she has a new baby brother. So she decides to run away and find a new home. She sits in a box and writes on it “FREE KID” and waits to see what happens. Will anybody take her home?
This is a story that is told mostly by the drawings, with a small amount of text added, so it is quick and easy to read. It was written in 1991 in Japanese and has only just been published in English.
I give this story 7/10. I like the story because it has a surprise ending and I had never seen pictures like that before, but I prefer books with more words.
Book review from Tomas, 10
This book is about a little girl whose potato-faced baby brother was born. She felt she wasn’t loved anymore so ran away. She found some animal friends along the way.
[Spoiler alert] The story’s ending was the animals finding new happy homes and the little girl went back to her old family.
The moral of this story is “Don’t run away. Your parents love you and your family equally”.
I found this book quite easy to read, so I think it suits 7-8 year olds better. Thank you for sending me Free Kid To Good Home.
Book review from Eva, aged 9
This book was quite nice to read because I like reading books with pictures, to make it make sense a bit more.
It was nice and simple, and would be a story for an early reader. This has been welcoming and warm to read because there are kind actions, as well as words.
Book review from Ciara, 10
What I enjoyed about this book was that it was funny and interesting and I finished in a day.
I love graphic novels and my favourite part was who actually wanted to take him home when he was looking for a new home.
Families were provided with a copy of the book for the purposes of the review. Views are those of the reviewers. This article contains information provided by HarperCollins.
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