One of a Kind
With Audio Recording
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
In this wry and witty picture book, an only child learns that in a classroom of multiples, individuality can be awesome.
All the kids in Lysander Singleton’s class are either twins or triplets, which means Lysander Singleton is the only “only child” at Twin Oaks Elementary. He tries to do what he can to fit in—making photocopies of himself, or attempting to play games with the other kids—though his efforts are usually met with unfortunate results.
But when it comes time for the schoolwide Twindividuation competition, a series of events meant to encourage individuality, Lysander quickly realizes that being the only “only child” does have its advantages—and that being unique isn’t such a bad thing after all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The oft-seen theme of fitting in versus individuality is given an odd twist in this book about a boy who feels unimportant. "Lysander Singleton was the only only child at Twin Oaks Elementary. Everyone else was a twin." While some of first-time author Winter's tongue-in-cheek humor is clever, Lysander's definition of being "important" is shallow ("The only classmates who would be his friends were also unpopular. This left Lysander feeling rather unimportant"), and the prim narration almost defies young readers to understand what's being said ("The children met with mixed results, but Lysander, practiced at distrust and uncertainty, wasn't falling for anything." Hitch's (Doctor Squash the Doll Doctor) rough-edged digital cartoons add welcome humor as the school's Twindividuation contest, in which being an only child gives Lysander a chance to shine, allows him to achieve the attention he desires. After Lysander wins every single event, he receives "the individual award for individuality" and is accepted by his peers, but the story's matter-of-fact prose mutes any real sense of triumph. Ages 4 7.
