PIcture Book Pick: Be You!

Be You!
by Peter H. Reynolds
Illustrations by the author
Orchard Books
(Scholastic imprint)
2020
32 pages
ISBN: 9781338572315

Be You! is a celebration of loving yourself, accepting yourself, motivating yourself, and pushing yourself! Each two-page spread begins with a positive message, for example: "Be adventurous," or "Be curious," or "Be persistent." The second part of the spread explains how to be adventurous or curious or persistent.

Cute, clever and quirky illustrations will bring smiles  to toddlers, parents and graduates for this little gem of a book would make an excellent life guide. If only we could all be persistent, curious, adventurous, different and brave! What changes humankind could bring to this world! Never preachy or stuffy or moralistic,  Be You! is a manual for young children and adults alike.

Highly recommended for ages four and up. Great graduation present or daily read for children. A child would be happy to tell an adult what each message means and how they practiced it that day or week. Likely to become a classic, Be You! will surely be up for awards this year.

Picture Perfect Pick: Back To School With Bigfoot

Back To School With Bigfoot
by Samantha Berger and Martha Brockenbrough
Illustrated by Dave Presser
Arthur A. Levine Books
40 pages (page count from Amazon)
ISBN: 9780545859738

Available June 27, 2017

. Back to school is tough for anyone, but can you imagine if you were Bigfoot?

Quirky illustrations will win readers over including a favorite on the first spread depicting a young student coming unglued over a pile of texts including the titles: Learning Is Hard, Hard Math, Impossible Math, Vague Geography, and Grammar Ain't Easy.

Bigfoot is worried about school. Shopping for clothes and shoes is impossible for someone his size. He decides school is overrated and he'll just stay home, but he will miss his teacher, Miss Sierra Nevada! And his friends. He thinks about all the fun he will miss with his friends and even dreams of becoming the Valebigtorian of the class! Bigfoot happily agrees to go back to school where he can meet his friends and have fun.

Bigfoot is an affable character smiling on each page. He is lovable and winsome and every reader will want to meet him.

This little charmer would be a great read for a child who is afraid of going to school for the first time or to a new school.

Highly recommended for young readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.