Max and Diana and the Birthday Present - Hardcover

ea. vol: illus. by Lonni Sue Johnson. unpaged. Harper. 1987. PSS $3.95. PreSchool-KEach of these stories about four-year-old twins reveals some of the unique problems and advantages of be ing a twin. In . . .the Beach Day, Max likes sand, water, and sand castles but Diana does not. In . . .the Birthday Present, the twins shop for a pet with their mother, father, and grandparents, eventually agreeing upon two guinea pigs. The twins go to the barber and the shoe store in . . .the Shopping Trip. At both places, Max and Diana compete to be first to arrive and to be served. The trip ends at the bookstore, where each child is allowed to choose a book. In . . .the Snowy Day the children make a snowman and a snowlady. Bright sim ple watercolor illustrations appear with minimal text on each page. The simplic ity of the illustrations and the use of light outline suggest children's artwork, which reinforces the first-person voice. The series is good entertainment and effective bibliotherapy about sibling re lationships. It reaches a younger audi ence than Beverly Cleary's books about Jimmy and Janet (The Real Hole and Two Dog Biscuits both Morrow, 1986).Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Pub. Lib., Ohio
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