1: A Great Combo of Fun and Fact
Nicole Rubin (a twin herself) offers a multiplicity of twinship facts and "factoids" from biology, history, psychology, math, and zoology (all easier to master than those words might imply!). The varied format and perspectives keeps things moving, and will appeal to a wide audience
Rubin answers scientifically-oriented questions as "Where Do Twins Come From?" and "What are the Odds" clearly and factually. However, she also presents many entertaining anecdotes and stories about twins, often of the "Gee whiz" variety: The twins separated at birth who discover astounding similarites when they meet years later, the 3,000 sets of twins (there's a photo of them) who meet annually in Twinsburg, Ohio, and famous twins such as Abigail Van BUren and Ann Landers, bad guys Reggie and ROnnie Kray, Robin and Maurice Gibb, and Mary-Kate and Ashley (too famous to need a last name).
Aside from the humor (e.g., two pages of riddles such as: Q. "What do you do if twin tigers are running towards you?" A. "Run twice as fast!"). the most important sections deal with the advantages/disadvantages of twindom, and how to deal with these, either as a twin, or as an adult caregiver. Through interviews with young twins, humorous examples, and straight-on tips, we learn that while twins MAY have a special bond, others' silly questions and expectations can be a real burden too. Kids are offered some snappy comebacks ("What's it like being a twin?" "I don't know. What's it like not being a twin), and twins (and their parents/guardians/teachers) are encouraged throughout to celebrate the special bond, but develop their individuality as well. A one-page acknowledgements page contains books and a few websites (e.g., twinsmagazine.com) for further exploration.
Rubin, creator of the "Rotten Ralph" series as well as many other superb books, gives us an intriguing, light, but informative book that explores the relatively rare (no pun intended) phenomenon of twinhood, while understanding and respecting the experience.
|
