FICTION

Me, Me, Me

by Annika DUNKLEE
illus. by Lori Joy Smith. 32p. Kids Can. Sept. 2017. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781771386609.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Three young girls are preparing for a school talent show. Annie suggests that they create an all-girl singing group. Lillemor and Lilianne love the idea—that is, until Annie starts to monopolize all of the decisions for the group. This book adeptly depicts characters' frustration through illustration. As Annie increases her dominance over the girls, her friends go from perplexed to annoyed. The warm-toned pastel palette gives the images an inviting look and feel. Dunklee employs colored word bubbles to distinguish dialogue from narrator commentary. The word bubbles shift to a white color against vibrant backgrounds. Different fonts used in word bubbles help emphasize phrases that are particularly important to the characters.
VERDICT This title will resonate with kids and encourage them to embrace teamwork and inclusiveness in their daily lives. A solid addition.
Reviewed by Deanna Smith, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY
Multilingual best friends Annie, Lillemor, and Lilianne decide to enter the school talent show as a singing group. But Annie tests their friendship when she insists on making all the decisions ("because this whole thing was my idea"). Dunklee's realistic story about bossiness, compromise, and teamwork features a mix of simple narration and speech bubbles set against Smith's expressive, brightly colored digital art.
 , Jul 01, 2017

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