Review - Just Like You

Just Like You
by Sarah J. Dodd
illustrated by Giusi Capizzi
Date: 2018
Publisher: Lion Hudson
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Miki is a baby meerkat who lives with his Mama in a zoo. When a new family move in next door, Miki hopes for a friend to play with. But the new arrival is different to Miki in every way. She's tall, he's small; she sleeps standing up, he sleeps in a burrow; she eats from the treetops, he eats from the ground... However, Miki and Raffa the giraffe soon realize that for every physical difference between them, there's a similarity and compatibility in what they both enjoy - or are scared of! And seeing from the world from someone else's point of view might be fun after all.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book didn't really excite me. While it has a decent message about different people finding common ground, I thought the story was kind of boring.

Also, if you're going to write a story that uses the need for sleep as a commonality, it might be better not to use a giraffe. Giraffes need very little sleep. This book also shows Raffa sleeping standing up, but it's usually older giraffes who do that.

The pictures are colourful and cartoonish, but they didn't really do anything for me. Kids might like them, though.

Overall, while I liked the message, the story was kind of weak and the illustrations just didn't excite me. I'm sure the book has an audience... but I'm not it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lion Hudson for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.67 out of 5