I Can! Can You? Book

A little girl tells what her older sister is able to do that she cannot, but then she relates what she can do, which gets to be more every day.

School Library Journal

PreS-- An understated rhyming story about two sisters, one of whom appears to be three or four and the other about seven or eight. Some of their everyday activities are told and contrasted: ``Someone I know/ can make up her bed/ with no lumps in the spread./ I can't./ Someone I know/ can put things away/before going to play/ I can.'' On the left-hand pages, the older sister is seen reading, displaying perfectly tied shoes, using paste neatly, and staying up past eight o'clock. The right-hand pages feature the smaller sibling's accomplishments: putting toys away, buttoning her jacket, painting a picture, and being thoughtfully quiet in the early morning. Simple, flat watercolors predominate in roses, purples, golds, greens, and blues, showing the girls enjoying each other, family, and friends. The low-key illustrations echo the wistful tone of the story; the upbeat ending indicates that the younger child is constantly increasing her prowess, but no unrealistic promises are made that she will equal all of her sister's successes. A smooth, usefully didactic read-aloud that invites participation among younger siblings, emphasizing the many skillful things they can do now and will do later, with practice and patience. --Patricia Pearl, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA