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Summary
Summary
"Max," said the farmer to his dog one day, "can you catch a thief?" Of course! He can catch anything! And Max eagerly sets off on a quest to find the culprit who has been stealing the farmer's fruits and vegetables. Within moments, the dog is confident he has spotted the thief --- a tiny blue bug, working on a carrot top. "Stop, thief!" Max cries as the bug flies away. Undaunted, Max chases after the bug, from the carrots to the berries to the beans and the cherries, until, eventually, Max watches in satisfaction as the bug flies away over the farm fence. What Max totally misunderstands in his enthusiasm, however --- and what youngsters will figure out right away --- is that the tiny blue bug isn't the thief at all. The real thieves are hiding in plain sight, right under his nose! Author Heather Tekavec has created a perfect storytime choice in this fun and funny picture book, as the kid appeal of being "in the know" while the lovable dog remains clueless will surely invite repeated readings. This story provides an excellent opportunity for discussions about jumping to conclusions and blaming others, or even about life on a farm. It also offers terrific lessons for building early literacy skills, such as moving beyond what is strictly presented in the text and critically thinking about what can be observed in the exuberant and friendly artwork by illustrator Pierre Pratt.
Author Notes
Heather Tekavec first fell in love with children's literature while working as a preschool teacher. Different? Same! is her eleventh published book and her first nonfiction picture book. Heather lives in Cloverdale, British Columbia.
Pierre Pratt is the internationally acclaimed, award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children. He lives and works in Montreal, Quebec, and in Lisbon, Portugal.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A farmer enlists the help of his pugnacious pooch, Max, to find out who is stealing all his carrots, berries, beans, and cherries. Max immediately spots a blue bug munching on carrot leaves and jumps to the conclusion that the pesky thief has been found. A nearby rabbit (carrot in mouth) offers support and cheers Max on as the bug bolts and dog zigzags through the various crops in hot pursuit. Along the way, he meets other barnyard animals (all with suspicious tell-tale crop remnants) who display wide-eyed innocence and promise to guard the food while sending Max scurrying on. When Max barks the bug off the farm, his animal friends decide to throw him a party and serve him the food they were guarding. But in the end, they can't resist saving the pile of good eats from the thief by eating it themselves. The full-color gouache art has a breezy immediacy that gives a sense of palpable movement as the dog dashes and the animals munch. The drama sprawls across the wide-ranging farm in a sea of blue skies and green growing plants. Readers will spot the culprits long before Max does in this fast-paced escapade.- Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this frisky detective tale, Max, a farm dog, tries to catch a thief as the real perpetrators hilariously lend a hand.Someone is eating the crops, and Max must find him. Off the flappy-eared dog runs, ready to solve the crime. When he sees a bug chewing on a carrot leaf, the chase is on. Rabbit, pig, goat and the crowsseeing themselves as innocent bystandersoffer their help and sympathies. In his determination to apprehend the insect, Max misses some significant clues (like the green bean falling out of the goats mouth!). When Max chases the bug over the fence line, the animals pick the last of the crops for a party; then, worried the thief might return, they gobble the food up for safekeeping. Gouache on paper applied with different brush-stroke techniques creates texture and depth. The illustrations, done in a warm color palette, offer a nice feeling of light and color, and the stylized animals move through expansive, friendly environments under a bright, blue sky. The playful text also offers plenty of hints to readers, who will smile at the canines well-intentioned efforts.A lighthearted romp. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.