My Beak, Your Beak

Review also includes:

My Nose, Your Nose, 978-0385602921

The theme of these ‘concepts’ books is similarities and differences. Children are helped to notice the differences and similarities between animals in My Beak, Your Beak and between people in My Nose, Your Nose. Knowing the words ‘similar’ and ‘different’ and using them appropriately helps clinch the concepts.

In My Beak, Your Beak animals of the same general species are sometimes different sizes, sausage dogs and Dalmatians, for example, but similar in an aspect of their behaviour – in this case both love chasing sticks. Or creatures might have different habitats – a penguin lives in the snowy South Pole while a robin is found in the garden but they both have pointy beaks. The children in My Nose, Your Nose have different eye colours but they all close their eyes when they go to sleep.

These books have a delightfully playful approach achieved by bright, bold illustrations and a clear simple text. Four to five year-olds would enjoy hearing an adult read the books out loud and talking about the pictures.