MABEL'S TOPSY-TURVY HOMES

With two houses, life can get confusing.

Mabel has two homes, and both are very different. In one, her bedroom is upstairs. In the other, it’s downstairs. In one house, you’re not allowed to jump on the bed, but in the other you can. Breakfast is an even more confusing routine. All of it makes her want to scream, but she doesn’t want to scare the class pet, Izzy the iguana, who is Mabel’s responsibility for the weekend. Mabel looks through Izzy’s travel journal and learns about all the amazing and very different things the iguana has done with the other children in Mabel’s class: She saw a football game, went apple picking, spent a weekend without power thanks to a storm, watched the same movie in two places, and celebrated two different holidays (Hanukkah and Christmas). Mabel can relate to a lot of these moments, like how she watched the same movie in both her houses, and celebrating holidays twice means double the presents (and hugs). Mabel considers both herself and Izzy lucky to have so many opportunities. This sweet tale highlights the exciting variety of a two-home child’s experiences, validating them all. Parental love and quality time are ever present in the warm, cozy illustrations. Bespectacled, curly-haired Mabel presents as biracial, with one light-skinned parent and one brown-skinned parent. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Doubly fun!