Just Like Sisters - Hardcover

Angela McAllister has written more than thirty books for children and has illustrated several books as well. She has two children, who are fantastic bookworms and brilliant inspiration, and she lives in a sixteenth-century cottage on the edge of Dorset Downs in England.

Sophie Fatus grew up in Paris and now lives in Florence. She has illustrated numerous picture books for publishers in Italy, Japan, Spain, France, and the UK. Sophie is passionate about animals and enjoys painting them in her artwork. When she's not illustrating, Sophie often runs children's art workshops in schools and gets involved in exhibitions of her work.

PreSchool-Grade 3–Nancy can't wait for Ally, her pen pal from Florida, to arrive for a visit, happily declaring, We know each other so well, we're almost like sisters. Readers might expect a pleasant tale about two girls enjoying their friendship, but the author and illustrator present a twist that transforms this offering into a delightfully unusual story. When Ally gets off the plane, Fatus's colorful paintings reveal that she is an alligator. The tongue-in-cheek fun begins right away, as Nancy tells Ally–without batting an eyelash–that she is exactly what she expected. The two pals sing, dance, laugh, attend ballet class, and make friendship bracelets together. After they purchase matching outfits complete with pink boas, Ally exclaims, I bet people will think we're twins. The humor is often subtle, as when Ally eats nine Spicy Shrimp pizzas or when, during a visit to the beach, she zooms through the water like a torpedo to rescue a drowning boy and, after one look at her, he suddenly remember[s] how to swim. The endearing paintings, featuring textured backdrops and cartoon characters, are funny and filled with affection. A strong intertwining of text and illustration, this is a charming celebration of friendship.–Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
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