Ling & Ting Share a Birthday
K-Gr 2–Ling and Ting are back, applying their problem-solving skills and thinking exactly like real six-year-olds. The table of contents cleverly displays the titles of the six stories on layers of a luscious, pink cake. A single theme links the chapters, with such familiar birthday topics as gifts, baking, and wishes. When a gift of of new shoes arrives, each girl wears one from the red pair and one from the green so that they are dressed alike. One successful birthday cake and one burnt cake–no problem. Ling cuts hers in half to share with her twin. And when one of Ling's candles remains lit, Ting blows out hers and wishes that her sister will have a wish, too. The gouache rendering of the twins has a nostalgic charm, and Lin creates an innocent world in which children shop, bake, and move about town without adult intervention. Even though this is a short and simple early chapter book, the characters are fully developed and distinct, and children should be encouraged to infer the protagonists' traits. An excellent stand-alone purchase or addition for libraries already familiar with these endearing sisters.–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CTα(c) Copyright 2013.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.