Review by Booklist Review
Bold illustrations and a visual game are the hallmarks of this unusual book. First published in India, it explores the concept of differences through 16 languages. Each double-page spread names a language and gives a few facts about it as well as showing the sentenc. Can you find me. in that language and giving a transliteration for pronunciation. Of more immediate interest to children, each spread offers a page with a number of objects or shapes and challenges viewers to find the one that is different. On some pages, the difference is immediately apparent, but sometimes it takes closer observation, analysis, and an open mind to discover which image is not like the others and why. Children will enjoy thos. Aha. moments and, perhaps, absorb the idea that each is different in its own way. Appended are four pages that reproduce small versions of the pictures and highlight the dissimilar elements. This colorful, original picture book provides an intriguing introduction to languages as well as differences.--Phelan, Caroly. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Padmanabhan's concept book about diversity features the prompt "Can you find me?" written in a different language on each page, along with phonetic pronunciations and a brief discussion of each language ("Cheetah, pajamas, and shampoo are words you might know that come from Hindi"). The "me" in question refers to an object, animal, or person that's different from similar items on each spread, which appear to be cut-paper shapes, thickly outlined in puffy paint. Many of the distinctions are quite subtle (one straight line among curvy ones; a box without a match, a ladder with different colored rungs), which points to the book's understated message about the subjective nature of difference, but may frustrate readers. Ages 6-9. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Learn to say "Can you find me?" in 16 languages in this interactive book celebrating uniqueness. Filled with teachable, fun-filled moments, it enables readers to solve puzzles and learn a bit about each language and words in English derived from them. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Each of sixteen spreads teaches readers how to say "Can You Find Me?" in a different language; lucid accompanying text briefly expands on each language. To add visual interest, spreads feature strikingly colored "picture puzzles" and direct readers to "find one item that's different from all the rest"--a frustrating exercise, given that no two images are quite identical. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An informational picture book presenting diverse languages to child readers, this offering from Indian novelist, playwright and cartoonist Padmanabhan and the Global Fund for Children is a tour de force.Each page opening includes a brightly colored picture puzzle image with one item differing from the others, accompanied by the question "Can you find me?" written in one of 16 languages from page to page and supported by phonetic pronunciation guides. Supplemental text provides information about each language, including words potentially familiar to English speakers ("Algebra, giraffe, and candy are words you might know that come from Arabic," for example) or words and phrases for readers to learn ("Count to five in Cree: peyak, nso, nisto, newo, nynan"). The resulting whole broadens readers' awareness of how languages evolve and adopt words from one another, culminating in photos of a child using American Sign Language to present a non-textual visualization of language. Backmatter includes an answer key to the picture puzzles (with the caveat that there may be different right answers according to each reader's unique perspective) and a closing note about language diversity.A substantive, engaging title for multilingual education. Bravo! (Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
