Jenny Sue Kostecki-ShawRecensioni

Although today’s kids usually communicate through texting or email, Elliot from the United States and Kailash from India use pictures and a few simple sentences to exchange information about their lives.

Their teachers facilitate the snail mailing of pictorial letters, just as the author-illustrator did when she visited Nepal, which provided the inspiration for this book. The title, also used as a refrain throughout the book, is a popular saying in India and Nepal, heard by Kostecki-Shaw when she traveled there. Elliot and Kailash explore their similarities and differences, concluding that their lives are “Different, different but the SAME!” The engaging childlike acrylic paintings with crayon, pencil, tissue paper and other collage elements show the busy crowded American streets of Elliot’s city, the traditional buildings of Kailash’s riverside village, the taxis and buses in the States and the taxis and camel-pulled carts in India. The English alphabet is reproduced on wide-ruled notebook paper and the Hindi alphabet (unfortunately unidentified) on a small slate, and both typical American pets (dog and fish) and a whole farmyard of Indian animals appear. Both kids live unusually low-tech lives (no computers or cell phones in sight), but they each enjoy learning about their pen pal’s world.

Purposeful, but saved from didacticism by the sheer exuberance of the illustrations; the accessible text introduces the idea of traditional two-way communication and demonstrates just how small our world can be. (Picture book. 5-7)

-Kirkus Review

Independent Reading Level: 1st-2nd grade
Awards: Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Awards in 2012, South Asia book award, nominated for the Monarch award in 2014.

Grade Levels: K-3
Awards: Ezra Jack Keats Book Award: New Illustrator Award, 2012.

Multicultural (ages 5-8)
South Asia Book Award

This book is about two kids that live on opposite sides of the world in different countries. They are best friends and send letters back and forth comparing and contrasting their different lifestyles.

Realistic Fiction.

This book is about two kids that are pen pals. One of them lives in America and the other kid lives in India. They send each other letters and drawings that help them to know more about each other. Same, same, but different, both kids have pets, but different; Both kids attend elementary schools, but in different countries. Both kids compare and contrast their lives and realize that although they live in different places, they have a lot in common.

This book is a great resource to teach students about different cultures and to help them to compare and contrast about different cultures and find out that different cultures have a lot of similarities too.

Elliot and Kailash are pen pals. Eliiot lives in America and Kailash lives in India. They exchange letters and pictures, they learn that they both have a lot more in common than they thought. Their worlds might look different, but they are actually very similar to each other. I think this book is really great to read in an elementary school classroom. It shows that you may have a lot more in common with someone who you didn't think you would. I think it's a great story and will get students realizing that their classmates can be just like them.

Two kids from different parts of the world write to each other about how they do things.

This book tells a realistic fiction story that spans the distanced between a two boys living in very different worlds but they discover that even when you live in different place there are things you have in common. The boys are pen pals that write to each other, through their letters and drawing to each other they learn about the other person, their life, family, culture, and school just to name a few. One of the boys, Elliott lives in the America and the other boy, Kailash, lives in India. Through sharing they learn that there is a lot of things that are the same, same but different, like the pets they have, riding the bus to school and their alphabet. The illustrations along with the lively and rich text brings this story to life and gives the reader the opportunity to step into the life of the characters. Through the pages and illustrations the reader has many opportunities to make connections and appreciate what makes other people and places the same, same but different and to learn about a new culture and place around the world.

This inspiring true story will show you how one person’s determined efforts can indeed make a difference in protecting our environment.

This realistic fiction book is the story of two boys from "different worlds" who meet each other through writing letters and drawing pictures. They explore how their worlds are different, but they also find many differences. The repetition in this story makes it really fun for students to listen to the story. The illustrations are colorful. The point-of-view makes the story feel very inviting. There is no conflict or rising action in this book. It just goes through their different similarities and differences.

Primary; Realistic Fiction; This is a great story of two young boys from different countries who become pen-pals and discover how much they have in common. The boys talk about their common interests and aspects of life such as riding the bus and climbing trees as well the differences such as one living with his immediate family and the other his extended. It is a great story for any child but may be especially important in a classroom with a lot of cultural diversity. It would also be a great prompt for students to either write to pen-pals or do another project on cultures.

This story talks about Penn pals and how, even though these two boys have similar ways of saying hi or hanging out with friends or even the place they live, they just do these day-to-day activities in different ways. Such a great book to teach about friendships that might have a ton of similarities but still accepting that we are all different in great ways. This is such a great book for younger learners, around 1st or 2nd grade.

This book is a sweet book about two friends who are pin pals and realize they live very far away from each other. During this time talking, they get a chance to learn about each other and each other's culture. They get a chance to understand each other and learn the importance of each others differences.
This would be a great book to introduce to the classroom, to remind the children that friendships can be different.

This book shows how 2 boys who live oceans apart can talk about their lives and even have the same interests. Its an intermediate level book and teaches students to embrace their differences while acknowledging our similarities.

Elliot and Kailash are pen pals. Elliot lives in America and Kailash lives in India. Through their letters, they learn that they both love to climb trees. They learn thy both of pets. They both go to school. They start to realize that they may be different, but they have a lot of similarities.

This book is about two kids who are the same age, but in different countries. They are always writing each other letters and are so curious to see how it is to live in another country. One is from India, while the other is from America. They love to follow each others lives. “We’re best friends, even though we live in different countries.”

I loved this book! I developed a "lazy eye" when I was 2, and had to have corrective surgery due to the severity of the issue. Many people don't know that if you don't correct a lazy eye, you can go blind in that eye. It is a serious issue, and I am so happy to see a book for children about it. I wish this book had been around when I was little. Just like Jenny Sue, I had to wear a patch with thick glasses, and it was hard to see. I remember the patches and I remember being in the hospital after the surgery. This story was great for so many reasons, but mainly because it shows how cruel kids can be- they called her names, made her feel sad and ugly. I loved that her mom made her the special patch and then they decorated her glasses too!! My mother tried to make a game out of the patch, and my aunt gave me a doctor bag(for kids) so I wouldn't be scared in the hospital. Jenny Sue is very brave, and I love that this book explains in very simple terms, what "strabismus amblyopia" is- it's just a Travelin' Eye!!

This book is about two boys who live on opposite sides of the world and share with each other different things about their lives and how they live. The boys share where they live, about their family, what they do for fun, and other different customs. I think this would be a good book to read to a social studies class to show the differences of cultures and customs around the world, and how even though we may be different we still are a lot alike.

This book was cool! I was smiling throughout while reading it. This book is about two boys who are pen-pals, one who lives in India, and the other lives in America. They exchange pictures, drawings of their surroundings, and even how they live. All the while, realizing that their lives no matter, if they live worlds apart, is the same, same but different. It was a fantastic story, definitely fitting for a younger audience.

This book is excellent in so many ways from the formatting of the font in the text to the pictures where you can see how Kailash writes Elliot's name in his country's alphabet system - it's incredible. The illustrations of how the family unit, pets, and even how they go to school is very different yet very much the same. The author and illustrator did a wonderful job with this book.

This book is about two children who are pen pals from different countries. It's a great book to show children that even though they may have different homes, different cultures and different lives they have the same daily routines almost and could relate to each other on many different levels. This book is a realistic fiction book, and does repeat throughout the book.

This book is about two children who are pen pals across the globe. Elliot lives in America and Kailas lives in India. These two exchange letters that share what they do in their country. What they realize after a couple letters is that no matter how far they are apart, or how different their cultures are they do the same things throughout the day. This book teaches a valuable life lessons like people may look different, but we can still value the same things in life. This book uses repetition and is a realistic fiction book.

This book is fun and interesting because it shows two different boys, Elliot and Kailash, who live on separate sides of the world. They go through the different things they like to do and live like. All of it is different yet the same. This just shows all the similarities between people, even across the world, just how in a country it may look different.

Window but also mirror. It shows how we no matter who we are, are all still the same just in a different way.

The book Same, Same But Different is about two pen pals Elliot and Kailas. Elliot is from America and Kailas is from India. Through out the story it shows how even though their cultures are different they still have lots of things in common. This is important for students in middle school because it teaches students that no matter where we come from we can always find something that connects us. It also teaches that respect of cultures is vital and even if people do things differently they can still be friends. This would be an awesome book for a lesson on cultures in history or English.½

Elliot and Kailash are pen-pals from different parts of the world. They both share things in common like taking the bus to school and having pets. Although Elliot and Kailash share those things in common, their cultures are still different. Even though they have very slight differences, Elliot and Kailash are still the same. I really like this story because it shows that everyone can have something in common even if that person lives across the world.