Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Melanie Walsh has once again created picture books for the youngest child. This time she introduces the concept of diversity, but her approach is very gentle:
Agnes has blue eyes. Kit’s eyes are brown. But . . .
they both close their eyes when they go to sleep.
The close-up and lively illustrations of kids and all their cute bits—eyes, hair, skin, noses, legs—will invite readers to tell what’s unique about themselves. And at the same time, children will see that there’s so much they have in common, too.
Looks at what pairs of children have in common, despite their obvious differences, such as Daisy and Kit both kicking hard in the swimming pool, although one's legs are short and the other's long.
Synopsis
Melanie Walsh has once again created picture books for the youngest child. This time she introduces the concept of diversity, but her approach is very gentle:
Agnes has blue eyes. Kit’s eyes are brown. But . . .
they both close their eyes when they go to sleep.
The close-up and lively illustrations of kids and all their cute bits—eyes, hair, skin, noses, legs—will invite readers to tell what’s unique about themselves. And at the same time, children will see that there’s so much they have in common, too.
Publishers Weekly
In signature style, Melanie Walsh (Do Monkeys Tweet?, etc.) continues her exploration of the animal kingdom in My Beak, Your Beak. "Dachshunds are long with little legs./ Dalmatians are tall and spotty. But/ they both love chasing sticks!" My Nose, Your Nose spotlights an array of people ("Arthur's hair is brown and straight./ Kit's hair is black and spiky. But.../ they both don't like shampoo!").
Editorials
From the Publisher
“Vibrant colors and simple shades will attract toddlers to these two appealing title about similarities and differences.” Booklist, ALAPublishers Weekly
In signature style, Melanie Walsh (Do Monkeys Tweet?, etc.) continues her exploration of the animal kingdom in My Beak, Your Beak. "Dachshunds are long with little legs./ Dalmatians are tall and spotty. But/ they both love chasing sticks!" My Nose, Your Nose spotlights an array of people ("Arthur's hair is brown and straight./ Kit's hair is black and spiky. But.../ they both don't like shampoo!").Children's Literature
This book celebrates physical differences such as skin and hair color among Daisy, Arthur, Agnes, and Kit, while it points out similarities among their characters and preferences. While Arthur and Kit may indeed have different hair colors and textures, they both hate shampoo! Daisy and Kit have different leg lengths, but they both like to kick in the pool, and they do so equally well. By using two African-American and two white children (one boy and one girl of each ethnicity), the author celebrates multiculturalism. Including more racial diversity, however, would allow even more children of other races to identify with the characters. Walsh does convey the message effectively that we are all alike and different in many ways. The brightly colored, large drawings and simple, colorful shapes of the characters catch the reader's eye. The light, whimsical tone reinforces the idea that even if people look different, they resemble one another underneath. 2002, Houghton Mifflin, Ages 2 to 6.—Heather Bivens