Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! is a book that features twins, Ling and Ting, that do everything together. Sometimes, however, they're mistaken for being exactly the same! Through a series of six short stories, the author reveals that these twins are individuals, even if they look the same.

In the first story, the twins are getting their hair cut and Ting accidentally sneezes, causing her to have an unfortunate, but distinguishing hair do throughout the rest of the book. The other stories show the reader how different the twins are through their actions and their words. Ling is the responsible and logical sister, while Ting proves to be forgetful and often imaginative. However different they may be, the two work together to solve the problems that they face throughout the book. 

The language used in the story is incredibly simplistic. This is clearly a controlled vocabulary book, so it is targeted towards young readers that need repetition in order to grasp words. I do not necessarily agree with the use of controlled vocabulary books, but the slight humor makes Ling & Ting easier to read. The author does a great job of using sarcasm and understatement to get the reader laughing.

The author also illustrated this book and, although the illustrations are relatively simple and straightforward, there are small, clever details included. For example, whenever the twins are handling literature in the book, they are often carrying one of the author's previous books. 

Overall, I don't think that I would use a book like this in my classroom, but I can understand why other teachers have resulted to it. The humor and the inclusion of Asian culture throughout the book would be appealing to some students that need a pattern to follow while reading.

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! 
By: Grace Lin
Published in 2010