Staying at Sam's

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 1-- A boy visiting his friend Sam's house is amazed by the openly affectionate family that's so unlike his own. First of all, there's "all the kissing." And, "there's the bathroom," an unabashedly open room where they all take off their clothes even before entering, and the door is rarely closed. Finally, Sam's parents' bed is a place where all are welcome--right down to the cat. Most surprising of all, Sam likes to visit the boy's house, too--just because it's so different. In this lively book, written in crisp first-person narration, the people have round, smiling faces reminiscent of Shirley Hughes's characters. Pictures from the boy's house have rounded, dreamy edges, contrasting with those scenes at Sam's, set into edged squares but with the action seeming to burst from those boxes. No punches are pulled. There are bare bottoms; Sam is on the toilet while Mom in her bra washes at the sink. All are clearly and frankly drawn, and that is the point: everyone and every family is unique. This is a book that revels in the differences and allows readers to explore them, too. --Jane Marino, White Plains Public Library, NYCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.