Apples and Oranges: Going Bananas with Pairs
“How are an apple and an orange alike? They both don’t wear glasses.” So begins this silly, entertaining picture book that asks readers how pairs are alike. Full-page scenarios provide quirky, creative, and unexpected responses. Pairs include a bird and a kite (“both don’t talk on the phone”); a starfish and an octopus (“both don’t knit”); and a spoon and a fork (“both don’t dance in the ballet”). A concluding spread shows faces within multiple squares that resemble Polaroid headshots, along with the question, “How are you and I alike?” The final, open-ended answer (“We both don’t . . . ”) invites children to come up with their own possible response. Distinguished by the detailed art, which includes depictions of a bespectacled orange, a scuba-diving cupcake, and an underpants hat, this will delight fans of absurd humor. Kids will enjoy the repetitive format, and the whimsical illustrations will encourage imaginative thought and discussion about other ways things are—and aren’t—alike. Preschool-Grade 2. --Shelle Rosenfeld