Horn Book

In this book inspired by Venn diagrams, a girl thinks about the relationships among the "three humans, and two cats" in her family. She begins with similarities in appearance--"three with orange hair" (mother, child, one cat)--then moves on to other groups: "two who can read, and one who is learning." The curvilinear, faux-naive artwork conveys as much of the meaning and humor as the lighthearted narration.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-A lighthearted look at a family from different viewpoints. The five members of the household, both human and feline, share many traits with one another while maintaining their individuality. The narrator (and only child in the group) sorts the five by their various commonalities from hair color to leisure activities to food preferences. "Three who like to hide in boxes./Four who have a knack with yarn." Although the illustrations in pastel colors seem a little lackluster at first, readers will be drawn in by their soft, gentle flow from scene to scene and the portrait they combine to create of a warm and loving family. Primary-grade teachers will find this a wonderful accompaniment when teaching grouping and Venn diagrams as it will allow them to assist students in making real-life connections to mathematical concepts. Children will simply enjoy it for the good story that it is.-Sheryl L. Shipley, North Central Local Schools, Pioneer, OH Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

"Three people and two cats form a cozy quintet in this volume, in which Jenkins playfully appraises a family's varied talents and tastes just the way a child learning to count might do," said <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 3-6. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Mar.)

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

Starred Review This clever, multilayered book is as much for sharing and getting little ones on the path to deductive reasoning as it is for reading. That makes it sound heavyhanded; it's anything but. Five creatures live in the house of the young narrator. The text encourages readers to be observant. It notes that three characters have orange hair. Which ones are they? Mom, daughter, and one cat; the two with gray hair are dad, and cat number two. Each of the spreads, many of which employ an almost aerial perspective, offers some new insight into the configuration of the family, often something funny and unexpected. For instance, who can open cupboards? The adults and the cats. The cats and the little girl climb trees. Then there's the great spread that shows everyone loves birds, but not all in the same way. Bogacki's colored chalk art, a bit reminiscent of Douglas Florian's work, is childlike in the best possible way--immediate, identifiable, and executed with soft colors and simple shapes. Parents and teachers will find lots of ways to use this--along with just enjoying it.

Kirkus Reviews

Shared and distinct traits appear in the five creatures in Jenkins's household—two adults, a young girl, and two cats. Bogacki ( My First Garden , 2000, etc.) uses a fish-eye perspective and a schoolchild's elementary expressiveness to give these comparisons a decidedly mellow, soft-focus feel. "Four who like to eat fish. Three who like to drink milk, one who's allergic, and one who only has it in coffee. Two who like to eat mice. Only one who likes to eat beets." The comparisons fluidly shift back and forth, including adult with child, or child with cat, or any combination that fits. There are even those shared if dissimilar tastes: "Five who love birds . . . but not all in the same way." There are touches of humor: apparently one of the cats can open the cupboard door, and it's the cats and adults who can climb on high stools. The book has an appealing way of inviting the reader in, allowing for moments of identification: "Two who can read, and one who is learning" or "three who don't like taking baths." And it is also good fun to chart the action of the text; it's not always who you'd think who gets included or left out of the mix. A great introduction to Venn diagramming, but fun enough to start folks grouping on their own. (Picture book. 3-6)