POCO AND MOCO ARE TWINS

This Japanese import uses twins to highlight the concepts of similarities and differences and cooperation.

Brother Poco and sister Moco are twin lambs, but this anthropomorphized pair isn’t put to pasture. In digital, geometric artwork set against brightly colored backgrounds, the siblings sport oversized pink faces with even rosier cheeks and puffy, white wool around their heads and torsos. At first glance the siblings appear identical, yet observant children will notice such subtle differences as mouth shape and nose color. Ichihara establishes their friendship as the twins share bathtime, snack time, and even accidents. The focus of this diminutive book for small hands, however, is the twins’ differences. For instance, boy Poco stands to urinate and loves bread, while girl Moco sits on the toilet and claims dessert as her favorite food. Flaps, foldouts, cutouts, and seek-and-find spreads add fun, revealing Poco’s chubby belly, messy room, and talent for hide-and-seek and Moco’s thin belly, neat room, and ability to climb trees. Although stereotypical blues and pinks are used according to Poco’s and Moco’s genders, it’s Poco who wants to be a chef and Moco an astronaut. Despite their differences, these best of friends work together when cooperation means everyone gets a bite of doughnut and an even taller tower of blocks.

Not groundbreaking, yet Poco and Moco’s adorableness will satisfy the toddler set.