The Trouble with Twins

Gr 4–6—Arabella and Henrietta may be identical twins, but they are not alike. Arabella is outgoing, cheerful, and popular. She even has "good hair." Henrietta, on the other hand, is solemn and shy, and Rose, the nanny, never even gets to her hair because she has such a good time fixing Arabella's shining tresses instead. Even their parents quite obviously (and a trifle disturbingly) favor Arabella. When Arabella abandons Henrietta to go to a party, Henrietta exacts a minor revenge and is sent into exile with odd Aunt Priscilla, who turns out to be quite interesting, despite her strange dining preferences. While their parents quickly forget Henrietta, Arabella finds she misses her twin tremendously and sets off to reconnect. The twins' story is framed by a mother telling the tale to her daughter, just as her own mother told it to her. The daughter's questions and the mother's responses move the narrative along subtly while anchoring it in a more recent time. As might be expected, the relationship between the twins and the storyteller is revealed in the end. Although no time period is specified, the illustrations (rotary dial phones, sweater vests, knee socks) suggest the 1940s or 1950s. The story is imbued with the nostalgia of that era and includes tenderly humorous moments.