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I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem ISBN: 9780060287610
Cornell, Laura and Curtis, Jamie Lee
Published by HarperCollins, 2007
Truly zany pictures with lots and lots of tiny details that could be poured over for hours, combined with integrated rhyming text that is fun, gives us a picture book like none other. The two main characters, a boy and a girl, show us the things they like about themselves and just how they manage to like themselves even when something has gone wrong. The boy, a fireman enthusiast, sometimes gets answers wrong at school, and even manages to like himself, 'when I fall and get hurt and mess up my elbows in pebbles and dirt'. The girl learns to eat new things, even when grandma insists on making octopus stew, and as her running skills are not the best, she must like herself, 'when I don't run so fast. Then they pick teams and I'm chosen last.' I had to read this several times as the pictures are so detailed and so humorous that it can take time to be sure what is going on. Do persevere, though; it's worth it in the end. The theme is that we are able to learn how to like ourselves even when we have done something we are not proud of, and in the end' 'I'm gonna like me 'cause I'm loved and I know it, and liking myself is the best way to show it.' The 'power of positive thinking' message is very American, as is the book.
Age: 7+