Furry Friends: Same and Different

Children's Literature - Sheilah Egan

Examining faces is one of the early developmental stages that all children experience. This oblong board book focuses on the elements that make up a face: two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. As illustrated in a sequence of small squares on the back of the book; some ovals are given those elements in stark black and brown while the alternating squares reveal more fully realized faces of the seven animals covered in the book: dog, cat, sheep, lion, tiger, and cow. Clever planning allows the reader to observe a face on the left hand page and view a die-cut face on the right hand side that demonstrates the facial components. When the die-cut page is flipped over, then it frames the original face on the left hand page, giving it the details of the next animal. Interaction is provided with the question: "How is this face different..." from that of the preceding animal. The same process is followed through the book until the last page shows a stylized baby face with the question: "How is this face different from your face?" Each animal is identified in lower case letters, so that early reading reinforcement is a strategic part of this book. The questions will stimulate discussion between reader and child (children) as well as give a platform for learning the names of the parts of the face. Rounded corners of the sturdy pages make this safe for small hands to handle. Part of the "Flip-A-Face" series. Reviewer: Sheilah Egan

School Library Journal

PreS—Each spread in this Flip-a-Face™ board book features a different stylized animal opposite a stylized face and the question, "How is this face different from…?" A cutout changes the plain face into the face of the next creature with a turn of the page. The animals featured include a cat, dog, tiger, and bear; backgrounds show a farm, desert, jungle, etc. With its bright color illustrations, this title will be useful in discussing the concept of comparison.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH