Scan barcode
annsantori's review against another edition
4.0
Striking multi-media style illustrations with a hopeful message of connecting across cultures -- celebrating our differences while remembering what unites us all as humans.
_mariana_'s review against another edition
5.0
This 2011 Ezra Jack Keats book award is a fiction book which had a great message for kids. Showing how we can be different but also similar in this story was worth the read.
kaydeechy's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book for little one, and they love it. It has quickly become one of their favorites to read and if given the choice will choose this book 9 times out of 10.
elephant's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely illustrations with a story about pen pals from the US and India.
aimolsen's review against another edition
4.0
Really love these illustrations and the concept. A great book to use with a class right before introducing a unit featuring pen pals.
emitche's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This is such a cool book! Written through the perspective of penpals, this book is about the differences (which can also be seen as similarities) between two different cultures. This book really puts into perspective how everyone in the world really isn't so different.
kcampise's review against another edition
5.0
1. Genre- Multicultural
2. Awards-South Asia Book Award for Grades 5 & Under
3. Grade Level- K-2
4. This is a great book to explain how every home and family is different, yet many aspects are similar no matter the culture. Elliot and Kailash use primarily pictures to describe their worlds when communicating with each other. I will have my students do the same thing. They will draw a picture of their worlds, such as their families and houses, using techniques shown in the book. After, the students will present the pictures to the class and explain the techniques used and why they drew what they drew. We will then hang the pictures up next to each other showing how every family and home has similar and different aspects to them, just like Elliot and Kailash.
2. Awards-South Asia Book Award for Grades 5 & Under
3. Grade Level- K-2
4. This is a great book to explain how every home and family is different, yet many aspects are similar no matter the culture. Elliot and Kailash use primarily pictures to describe their worlds when communicating with each other. I will have my students do the same thing. They will draw a picture of their worlds, such as their families and houses, using techniques shown in the book. After, the students will present the pictures to the class and explain the techniques used and why they drew what they drew. We will then hang the pictures up next to each other showing how every family and home has similar and different aspects to them, just like Elliot and Kailash.
tashrow's review
4.0
Elliot and Kailash are new pen pals. As they share letters, they share the differences and similarities of their lives in Elliot’s America and Kailash’s India. Both boys like to climb trees. Their families are very different with Elliot living with his mother, father and baby sister and Kailash living with an extended family of 23. They both have pets, but the pets are different. Both boys take a bus to school, but the communities are very different except for the traffic. The boys discover that they can be friends despite their obvious differences by looking to see how much they are actually they same.
Kostecki-Shaw writes with a very positive tone here. Through the two boys, she demonstrates how we are all so much more similar than we may realize. At the same time, she rejoices in the differences between the two characters, allowing us to see the different cultures side-by-side.
Her art is very effective as well, rendering both cultures with bright colors, plenty of motion, and a natural energy that captures the eye. She makes the differences between the cultures quite compelling.
A perfect book to share in a class along with a pen pal unit, this book is also a good pick for sharing when discussing differences since it takes such a positive approach. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
Kostecki-Shaw writes with a very positive tone here. Through the two boys, she demonstrates how we are all so much more similar than we may realize. At the same time, she rejoices in the differences between the two characters, allowing us to see the different cultures side-by-side.
Her art is very effective as well, rendering both cultures with bright colors, plenty of motion, and a natural energy that captures the eye. She makes the differences between the cultures quite compelling.
A perfect book to share in a class along with a pen pal unit, this book is also a good pick for sharing when discussing differences since it takes such a positive approach. Appropriate for ages 5-7.
More...