Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind

by Lorena Siminovich, Lorena Siminovich (Illustrator)

Overview

Sunshine and rain. Cat and Dog. Alex and Lulu. Are they too different to be best friends?

Meet best friends Alex and Lulu. Alex loves having noisy, exciting adventures, and Lulu likes painting and making things. Even though they are different, they always have fun together. Until Alex begins to worry that they might be TOO different — that they might actually be opposites! Discover what opposites really are in this quirky story that celebrates differences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763644239
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/10/2009
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lorena Siminovich grew up in Argentina and remembers that she started to draw when she was very young, excited by the possibilities of the blank page. She has written and illustrated several children’s books and is currently working on the next title in the Alex and Lulu series in her studio in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

There are many books about friends who don’t see eye to eye, but this one is notable both for the clarity of its message and delightfulness of its art.
—Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 1

Alex, a white dog with a large black spot over one eye, is best friends with a white cat with black markings. One day, Lulu gets her pal thinking about the ways in which they are different; for example, Alex enjoys soccer and playing ship's captain, but Lulu prefers painting flowers. He worries that their relationship is in jeopardy. To reassure him, Lulu offers several examples of true opposites ("big and small," "wet and dry") and reminds Alex that they share many interests in common (pillow fights). What's more, their differences can mesh, making the friendship solid and interesting. Siminovich's spare scenes offer patterned backgrounds and an occasional charming detail, such as a trio of ants carrying a leaf umbrella or a "FRAGILE" packing sticker on Alex's homemade boat. The block figures, who always seem to be on tiptoe, pose in linear fashion. With their retro feel and lack of fuss, the artwork is delectable. Despite stereotypical gender roles, the text serves both storytellers and independent readers.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

School Library Journal

Clean lines and muted colors lend a simple charm to Siminovich's flat cartoon illustrations-which compensates, at least in part, for her jackhammer style of lesson delivery. Alex (a dog) and Lulu (a cat) love pillow fights and playing on the swings. But because he also likes sports, climbing trees, jumping in puddles, pretending to be a sailor and other boy things, while she's more into painting, reading and flowers, Alex begins to fret that they're "too different to be friends." After going off on a tangent with a disquisition on "opposites," Lulu leadingly restores his equanimity by explaining that " ‘sometimes it's because we're so different that we have the most fun when we're-' ‘Together!' shouts Alex." Most younger children aren't likely to be so analytical about their friendships-and those who are may be more convinced by the many better articulated celebrations of differences, from Frog and Toad and Tony Johnston's Alien and Possum on. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews