This is a good story about friends who like the same things, but don't always agree. It is a really good book about making and keeping friends.

This was such a sweet story. The true story is just as sweet. It definitely was a great book to show my toddler to learn more about differences. It also shows the simple sweetness children have before they learn all the bad things the world has to teach them.

This is a sweet story, but doesn't quite get its point across effectively. It works if you know the real-life story it's based on, but if you don't, as the intended audience likely doesn't, it's confusing. Are they best friends, or are they fraternal twins (I got that "twins" was used metaphorically, but will young kids get that?)? What is the context here? An author's note explaining the inspiration for the story would've been helpful. The illustrations are fun and colorful- I like the childish look of them, the not realistic colors that kids often use do well to hint at the different races of the two boys without necessarily giving it away. If context gets added before publication, this will be a great book. Without the context, it's still sweet, but not very impactful.

#YouandMeBoth #NetGalley

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If this is a board book, I think it's good as it has very simple text and very bright colors. If it's aimed toward anyone older than toddlers, it falls short as it is too simple.

Two little boys in pre-school become kindred spirits and discover they have so many similarities that they are like twins. They love building tall block towers and knocking them down, strawberry jam on toast, splashing in rain puddles with matching boots and the disliking of carrots (which they happily feed to the classroom pet rabbit), just to name a few.

They definitely are brothers from another mother. Jamal decides he needs a haircut and his BFF gets his cut in the same identical style. They giggle because now they know they can trick their teacher. Yes!!!!! She will never be able to tell them apart... how fun is that?

But the best thing of all? The boys have very different skin colours and they don't even notice the difference. This book is inspired by a true story that went viral on Facebook and touched the hearts of many. People were taken by the innocence of the two best friends and the love they had for each other regardless of their race or skin colour. "You and Me Both" teaches a wonderful life lesson for all of us to emulate. Togetherness is not about our physical appearances but about our blended hearts.

Unfortunely, the illustrations just didn't do it for me. It is very hard to distinguish what the mission of the story is all about. I was familiar with the original Facebook post which I adored and shared many times because it was so heartwarming and sweet, so for me the story fell short of that original message. The story does highlight friendship, diversity and sharing life with others no matter what their colour.

This is a picture book for young children. It tells of two friends who love being together and enjoy all of the same things. Each likes the same kind of jam, feeds the carrots that they are supposed to eat to the class rabbit instead, get haircuts at the same time, etc. To one another they feel like twins and they wonder if people can tell them apart. The reader may want to pay attention to the fact that they are shown in different colors, as they are of different races.

The charm of this book is that the children have not yet learned prejudice. It is based upon a real story. This would be a good book for a nursery/preschool child as it could open up discussion. The illustrations are bold and lively.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book may have been inspired by a viral story, but it's obviously lost something in the retelling. If you aren't aware of the backstory, You and Me Both could come across as a story about actual twins. (Even the back cover plays into it with the question, "What makes a twin?")

The illustrations are so rough and crude that the subtle differences between the boys are hard to see. It doesn't help that, with the exception of one illustration, all the pictures show the boys with unnatural skin colours (blue, yellow, purple). One has freckles and one doesn't, and one has somewhat curlier hair, but that's about all the hints about ethnicity you're going to get. Even the picture at the end showing the boys' more realistic skin tones doesn't necessarily rule out their being actual twins; there have been cases of twins born to multiracial parents where one twin looks white and the other looks black. The boys referring to themselves as twins could potentially confuse young readers. (The only real clue that the story is about friends is the brief mention of the boys having to say goodbye at the end of the day.)

The pictures really don't excite me, and the story is boring without appropriate context. (If you don't read the synopsis, you're not going to understand the significance of the "twins" thing.) If I was confused as an adult, I can't imagine kids are going to have it any easier.

*received from netgalley for honest review* well its unique, good for young children learning to read but not really a story.