Twindergarten

Dax and Zoe are curly-haired fraternal twins who do everything together—until it comes to going to kindergarten: “Tomorrow, they’d be in different classrooms. And they absolutely couldn’t imagine what that would feel like.” Yet the twins make friends and acclimate to new routines once they get to school, and at recess, Zoe and Dax are together again “like peanut butter and jelly.” Working in soft colored pencil, debut illustrator Abbott’s understated images feel airy and open, and she emphasizes not just the closeness between the twins but also the way they seem to trade off feeling confident and nervous about school. Though not all siblings will be as mutually adoring as Dax and Zoe are, newcomer Ehrlich leaves readers with the comforting idea that just because one thing changes doesn’t mean that everything has to. Ages 4–8. [em]Author’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Stimola Literary Studio. (June) [/em]