Title: Just like Brothers
Written by: Elizabeth Baguley
Illustrated by: Aurelie Blanz
Age Recommendations: 3-7 years old
Have your own copy delivered to your door
What is it about?
This new addition to the Barefoot Books Library is a touching story about who young ones who are very different (one is a human, the other a wolf) and taught to fear one another who come face to face and find themselves forging a friendship beautiful enough to inspire others around them.
What we thought:
I read this with my entire family and we discussed our thoughts right after competing our story and what we found elicited some pretty cool talks!
My 16 year old son's biggest complaint was that this story wasn't long enough. He thought that this story sounded like the plot line for a Disney movie. However, my 8 year old daughter believed that the mothers were a little too accepting of each other, especially since the mothers made it a point to teach their sons to fear the other.
My husband, on the other hand, had a slightly different point of view. He disliked the choice of wording, pointing out that it's not set up the best way to teach proper sentence structure. And, to be honest, had you said this to me after the first time I read this book, I would have agreed that the wording feels unnatural and I wasn't sure that I liked it. However, as I'll discuss latter, that opinion has changed. On the other hand, while my husband has issues with the wording, he did enjoy how descriptive the wording is.
To flip it, there were many things we liked about this reading experience...and it is an experience. My son was very quick to share with us how much he loved the hand painted art work, commenting on it's sheer beauty and eagerly agreeing with my husband who was happy to add his appreciation for the use of colors, the first to not how color was used to drastically change the mood of the story at a moment's notice.
My son was also intrigued by the number of lessons/messages he found withing this story. We saw topics such as prejudices/racism, learning about others, and curiosity over coming diversity, just to name a few.
My daughter, however really liked how the two main characters, the boy and the wolf cub, didn't just come together to form a friendship, but they had commonalities that helped to bring them together. It was on the grounds of those commonalities that that really helped the build their relationship and she liked that the two, while drawn together instantly, used their commonalities to build their friendship stronger.
I have come to really love the poetic, lyrically rhythm of the wording and I find it more beautiful every time I read it, which only makes me want to read it again and again. I really adored the story and and constantly found speechless when admiring the art work. I also really liked the way the young ones came together under the umbrella of learning about their differences while bonding over their what makes them the same, which is actually quite a bit!
While there was our likes and dislikes overlap and contradict each other, we have very different choices as our favorite parts.
My son really loved when the two came together for the first time and realized that they were not as scary as they were lead to believe. He loved as they each took time to get to know each other and realize that the other was not as expected.
My husband, ironically enough, favored not an event, but a written line found in the book. He loved phrase "twist-twigs", explaining that the mental image that this phrase, and others like it, conjured up was pretty great, making this what stands out most to him in the story.
I really liked the end when the mothers realize the bond that their children have developed and decide that they, too, need to put aside their pre conceived notions and become friends themselves, too.
And my daughter's favorite is at the same point as my husbands but instead she likes the part when they hear each other for the first time.
I must admit, there is plenty to love about this treasure!
We rate this book....
My son rates this book...
5 out of 5 rabbits
My daughter rates this book...
5 out of 5 rabbits
My husband rates this book...
5 out of 5 rabbits
I rate this book...
ugh! I can't decide!
4 out of 5 rabbits
(But it's a high 4! If I did partials, it would be a 4.75!)
Now you know how much we love this book, tell us what you thought of it in the comments below!
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