The Same but Different Too

Life would be a snooze if everyone were the same, but it’s also nice to have some things in common. That’s the simple premise of Newson (I Am a Tiger) and Hindley’s (Be More Bernard) rhyming bedtime book. Each vignette pairs a sweet-natured, anthropomorphized animal with a wide-eyed human kid who points out how the pair reflects shared likes, qualities, or differences. “I am hungry/ You are too,” notes a child using a wheelchair, who stares at a very tall and precarious stack of pancakes while sitting across from an anteater (matching checked napkins are neatly tucked under both chins). On the opposite page, a kid about to be examined by a smiling crocodile dentist notes (without alarm), “I have fewer teeth than you.” The layout lends a jaunty visual rhythm, and pencil and digitally colored images offer an elegant, easygoing vibe. The wrap-up is a lovely note of unity: everyone gathers for a story, and then heads to the ultimate bunk bed—portrayed in a vertical spread—for a collective lights out. Ages 2–5. [em](Apr.) [/em]