DIFFERENT!

Anthropomorphic animals confront very human concerns.

Flo the flamingo feels self-conscious about her appearance. One by one, other animals reassure her, offering affirmations about her big beak, her long neck, her bright feathers, and her big feet. For the most part, the animals offering such affirmations do so out of confidence about their similar attributes—a giraffe named George, for example, says “Long necks are wonderful!” By the end of the book, Flo feels better about herself and thinks she’s “very lucky to be… / Different!” Unfortunately, this heartfelt message is undermined by the fact that Flo reaches such a confident stance only by seeing how she is similar to others, like George, or Ron the rhino with his “big, stompy feet,” and the many other creatures in the book. More successful is the companion title, Worry!, which depicts an anxious pufferfish who frets about “new things,” “bad dreams,” and “going to the dentist,” among other concerns. “But his friends helped him feel better,” reads the comforting text, and then subsequent spreads show those sea-creature friends providing reassurance. Ultimately though, neither title makes a strong enough mark to stand out among other, stronger picture books addressing sociodevelopment.

Alas, not different enough to distinguish it from better, similar titles.