Any book promoting cultural, physical, emotional, or mental differences gets my immediate attention. Teaching differences increases tolerance, understanding, and eventually peace. What I Like About ME!, a book celebrating differences, attracted me like a magnet. What’s delightful about this book is the spirit of really celebrating your straight black hair and my curly blond locks, or alternatively, celebrating our different lunch boxes, some with burritos, some with sushi, and still others with curry.

This story reminded me of a 6 year old Japanese girl who didn’t want her mother to prepare her lunch box in the traditional Japanese style because her classmates would make fun of her at school. My advice to the mother was to meet with the teacher and the director and do some class project around it. This situation happened at an expensive private school in Los Angeles with children from different countries. I often wonder what kind of reaction children would receive in places with even less cultural diversity.

Reading about our differences, touching the different textures of hair in the book, or opening up the little flaps to discover what’s inside the lunch boxes makes What I Like About ME! an interactive and attractive book.

The vivid colors of the illustrations add a great mood to the story. Children look happy throughout the book, smiling and having a good time together, sending the positive message that being different is great.

Highly recommended for ages 2 to 5.

Find What I Like about ME! on Amazon.

what i like about me!