A new pair of characters portrays a realistic preschool concern with a certain amount of charm and subtle wisdom. Best friends Gigi and Lulu do everything together, mirroring their choices in clothes, school lunches, and play interests until the day Lulu’s block house gets knocked down; they vow never to speak to each other again, both convinced that the other is to blame.Neither parents nor teacher can help them reconcile their feelings, but after being paired for “twins day” at school, encouraged to wear clothes they like best, and bring their own favorite lunch, the two realize their individual tastes and form a healthy mutual respect that allows them to be best friends again. Cole’s typically lively drawings show a variety of animals and stress the concept of differences as the large porcine character of Gigi interacts with the small rodent personality of Lulu. Inserts with cutout puppet figures for Gigi Pig and Lulu Mouse come with a suggestion card on ways to help children cope with and resolve conflicts. (Picture book. 3-5)
