Nothing Alike

Inspired by the #sorrywrongasian hashtag, Nothing Alike is a clever, funny story about a white boy who can't tell two Asian girls apart in his classroom. Or can he?Reuben thinks it's impossible to tell Esme and Eunwoo apart! They both have the same dark hair, are both short, and they even wear the same school uniform. Except that once Reuben starts to think about it, of course he knows who is who. But just as he starts to learn who's who, the girls have a surprise in store for him ...In this masterful picture book about race and perception, Nothing Alike shines a light on the tricky topic of micro-aggressions and stereotyping, with the wry humour of Who’s Your Real Mum? and the cleverness of They All Saw A Cat.Based on the author’s experience of being continually confused for an Asian writer colleague, despite them looking nothing alike – and, at the same time, her own half-Asian son coming home not being able to tell two Asian classmates apart.Will appeal to anyone who has had trouble telling people apart until they get to know them and, in particular, to children who have experienced being lumped together on account of their race, gender, religion or class.Light-hearted, playful and sharp-eyed, this is a story that leads the reader gently to reflect on their own behaviour, and is a perfect introduction to anti-racism: instead of dealing with the situation by avoiding or blaming the people for looking alike, Reuben comes to recognise his problem and solve it over time.