I Just Like You

PreS-Gr 1–This is a charming read that celebrates diversity and promotes acceptance of differences and harmony. Using domestic and wild animals, this tender story is illustrated with sweet pencil-and-watercolor artwork that will appeal to children. In the opening pages, a cute pig in a blue jumpsuit and a llama with a pink scarf look up at the sky and see the same clouds. But the pig interprets the cloud shapes one way and the llama another. On a different page it shows animals walking different ways. The text says, "You don't walk just like me." The illustrations on the two adjoining pages show a bear cub pushed in a stroller, a baby alligator being carried in a blue wrap, a flamingo with a pink parasol walking on foot, a mouse on a skateboard and a groundhog with a fancy hat riding in a wheelchair. Large illustrations and short text make this a good choice for sharing in a group setting. The message is a positive one about accepting others' perspectives even if they differ from your own.