Samantha Berger

Those of us who review children's books and serve on book award committees are encouraged to focus on what the book is -- not what it's not. So I appreciated this book about rockin' what ya got. (Tangent: It makes me think of Todd Parr, a children's book author who is arguably not the most sophisticated artist or writer, but I really love his books because he rocks what he's got -- positivity, acceptance, and a lot of bold wacky colors.)

It certainly feels like the picture book market is saturated with books telling children to be who they are (and that's not a bad thing). I'm not sure if this book really stands out in the field generally. It does highlight the creative process so would be a good book to share with a budding artist or in a creative writing class for young people.

I also liked Berger's rhyming text. It was very bouncy and memorable.… (more)