I am a twin. People think my girls are twins, and sometimes it's easier to go along with than using the term "surviving triplets" all the time. Anyway, they are fraternals just like me and my twin. They look just like me and my twin, too! Their personalities are flipped from ours, though. Anyway, my son was a few months shy of 3 and books we got for him (and them in the future) refer to twins. We've really enjoyed many of them and wanted to share in case you're having multiples.
Fraturtles by Keith Greenstein
The book listing puts it best: "'How come fraternal twins are called twins when they don't look alike?" That's the most common question fraternals ask (and are asked) when they're young. Not only does Fraturtles answer that question, but it does so through a fun, easy-to-understand story about a twin who comes to realize that having a twin isn't about sharing their looks. It's about sharing their lives.'"
God Gave Us Two by Lisa Dawn Bergren
I don't consider myself a religious person, and although this book repeats its title as a phrase often, I also don't consider it to be a religious book either. Much like the book that it comes after (God Gave Us You), you will feel all warm and fuzzy inside while reading it. Spoiler alert: much like our next book, we find out in the end that the parents are expecting multiples. If you have a slightly older younger child, it's a great way to spill the beans! I think it's way more fun with the printed book, but you can check out a read aloud video here.
Big Brother Peanut Butter by Terry Border
I grabbed this one right before my girls came and we loved the theme! Kids often worry about being a good big sibling, and this one was funny and cute. My son loves food too, so it was great to see foods being used to send a message that loving each other is the most important thing family members can do. Watch a read aloud here.
A Twin is to Hug by Boni Ashburn
This one is a quick and easy read. My three year old was able to read some of it to his sisters and he was so proud! I wish we had this on our baby registry before they were born because it would have helped him understand a little more about what to expect. He handled it well, but sometimes two years olds are centered on how hard it is to share parents and toys with their new sibling(s). This book does a good job of showing that it's hard for the twins to have to share everything (and everyone) with each other! Here it is being read aloud on video.
She's My Twin Sister by Lola Adebayo
Written by a British Nigerian author about her own twin daughters, this story tells how Amel and Amira are similar, but different. This is a common twin book theme! There is an attempt to rhyme, which sort of works despite the rhythm being off. It's out of print, so you'll need to track down a used copy or watch the read aloud video here. You can also find another book called That's My New Friend, which was also written about her girls.
Twintuition series by Tia and Tamera Mowery
I grew up watching their TV series Sister, Sister and naturally I was curious about their new books. I bought them for my niece, who is my twin's daughter, since she thought it was so cool we have more than one set of multiples in the family. My great aunt and great uncle are twins, as are my husband's aunt and uncle. Anyway, I haven't read them yet, but she gave them the thumbs up and something tells me they will be passed down to my girls when they're older. Did you know their little brother was an actor on Full House?
Twins: A Graphic Novel by Varian Johnson
I snagged this one from Scholastic for my niece, who loves that her mom and I are twins. At her age, graphic novels are super popular and she grabbed this one from the stack first. It's about finding your place in middle school and in life as a twin. It's great for kids who aren't twins, too, because it teaches them that it's okay to have different interests than those you are friends with.
The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley
Sweet Valley Twins series by Francine Pascal
This one was a favorite of me and my twin when we were middle schoolers. Jessica and Elizabeth are exact opposites, despite being identical twins. It was set in the 1980s and 1990s, but kids today can still relate to a lot of situations they found themselves in. There's also a series for older kids that is set when the girls were in high school, and a TV series was even created later. As you can imagine, you've got to track down used copies.
Check out other twin books I've posted about here.
Do you know of more twin books you'd like to recommend? Please leave a comment below!
