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You've noted the compositional challenge, Mike, and though they're both cute kids, these are "Two Heads" (with "A Tree") filling a frame, and there are other problems, not the least of which is the enormously different size of the heads -- which, again, are in near-horizontally linear relation compositionally [indeed, almost triangular, pointing out of the painting, in resistance to the gaze] -- without contextual explanation in terms of depth or relative size of other anatomical forms or posture, and I can't but help think that will seem more than odd to any viewer, even allowing for differences in age.
The girl's gaze toward her brother has the suggestion (at least) that if she were to look back toward us, she'd be cross-eyed. I doubt that's the case, but that extreme side focus has skewed her eyes into what seems to me an awkward "pose". You'll have to be mindful of that, especially when rendering the eye on our right.
Just gadding about, making difficult assessments -- unless you're a portrait artist, and then I'm trying to make things easier. This looks like a tough one. Not saying you can't pull it off, but it's the hard way to do it.
You're right, though -- should you have a go at this, there are some lighting "gifts" in the reference photo, though as well some challenges in the skin tones (and their effect on form) that will call for attentive and subtle treatment. (But -- another gift -- look at how much information you're getting there in terms of color in the transitions between value areas.)
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