Take Two!: A Celebration of Twins
Although this handsome offering has the look of a picture book, both the poems and sly art are better suited for middle-graders, and if they happen to be twins, so much the better. Lewis, the Children’s Poet Laureate, and prolific Yolen present more than 40 poems dedicated to the ups and downs, pros and cons, of being a “womb mate” (as one poem is titled). Like most poetry books, this has its share of clever verse and other poems that fall flat. Repetition of sentiment is also a bit of a problem here. There may be only so many ways to say we are part of each other—or perhaps the number of poems should have been culled. But when the poetry is good, it’s very good, and in some cases, hilarious or touching, as in  “Mirror Twin”: I wave, you wave. / I smile, you laugh. / I wink, you blink. You leave—I’m half.” Heavily illustrated with full-page and spot art from the always delightful Blackall, this looks like much thought has been put into the design. A charmer. Grades 3-6. --Ilene Cooper