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ONE OF THESE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS

Name: ONE OF THESE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHERS
Author: Barney Saltzberg
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4560-8

by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020

Subversive and clever, this book challenges readers to change habits of thought.

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Saltzberg upends traditional spot-the-difference design.

A carefully chosen set of four objects is offered—most similar but not quite the same and sometimes vastly different. Three cows and one elephant? The titular phrase comes in handy. “One of these is not like the others.” But the page turn reveals all four clasping hooves and trunk and celebrating: “And that’s just fine with us.” Three dogs and one cat? “One of these is not like the others.” The cat’s nervous mien prompts misdirection to assumptions of stereotypical cat-and-dog relationships. “But we can still be friends.” Saltzberg goes on to compare more surprisingly visually similar items, such as three cowboy hats and a fish rising from a puddle, mouth agape, to mimic the outline of the headwear. The fish is then wearing all the hats in the following spread: “Because you can never have too many hats.” Placed on a blank white canvas, the sets are simple and uncluttered. Young readers will jump at the chance to point out the differences. But those differences are what are celebrated! It’s impossible to not hum the Sesame Street song of similar wording, but instead of not belonging, the different objects are accepted and embraced. “Some of us are a little different. // And that’s the way we like it!”

Subversive and clever, this book challenges readers to change habits of thought. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 3, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-8234-4560-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SMELL OF WET DOG
by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

- BOOK REVIEW
ARLO NEEDS GLASSES
by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

- BOOK REVIEW
A DELICIOUS STORY
by Barney Saltzberg ; illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)