Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Ling and Ting
Fiction
For ages 5 to 7
Little Brown, 2010 ISBN: 978-0316024525
Ling and Ting are identical twin sisters. They have the same dark hair and dark eyes, and people are always saying, “You two are exactly the same.” This is rather annoying for the girls because they really are not exactly the same.
One day Ling and Ting go to the barbershop to have a haircut. While the barber is cutting Ting’s hair, Ting sneezes and the barber accidentally cuts a big chunk of hair out of Ting’s bangs. Now Ting and Ling do not look the same any more and this pleases them.
When Ting and Ling make dumplings, they do things differently. Ling closes up her dumplings tightly, and when they are cooked, they look near and perfect. Ting stuffs as much meat filling into her dumplings as she can, so they look fat and lumpy when they are cooked. The twins also like different kinds of books. Ling likes books about dogs, and her sister likes fairy tales. How can anyone say that these two little girls are “exactly the same?”
This charming beginner reader will not only appeal to twins, but it will also appeal to children who have siblings and who are always hearing “but why can’t you be more like your brother/sister?” Here at last is a celebration of all the things that siblings do differently.
With six little chapters and illustrations on every page, this book is prefect for the young reader who is eager to move from picture books to “big kid books.”
