Review by Booklist Review
Picture books that celebrate the uniqueness of kids often prove far less special than their subject matter; this one, however, makes a shopworn idea fresh. Spinning off a lovable, previously published poem by Prelutsky, Davenier illustrates the same several verses three times, with each iteration gaining power and meaning through depictions of three distinct children. The poem itself is a winner, never missing a beat or a rhyme--"I am the only ME I AM / who qualifies as me; / no ME I AM has been before, / and none will ever be." But even the catchiest versifying can wear thin through repetition. Davenier counters this problem with dynamic compositions, alternating double-page spreads with fun-to-follow sequenced vignettes. Children may or may not see themselves in the three characters (a tomboy, a boy scientist, and an actress-in-the-making), but a concluding scene gathers a gaggle of other ME I AMs, whose exuberant presences hint at limitless ways of being. This pairs well with Davenier's Sally Jean, Bicycle Queen , about another true original. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Like Dr. Seuss's "Sam I Am" (from Green Eggs and Ham), Prelutsky's trio of heroes extols the virtues of individualism. However, it is Davenier's (Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen) imaginative artwork that brings this playful picture book uniquely to life. All of the three featured characters insist, "I am the only Me I Am/ who qualifies as me;/ no Me I Am has been before,/ and none will ever be." Davenier portrays each child with enough specific details and comedic vignettes to create three visual stories even though the poem itself does not differentiate character traits or personal effects. A sports-minded girl full of joie de vivre rejects a fancy dress in favor of a pirate's outfit. A budding scientist happily creates a makeshift bird hospital for an injured feathered friend. An inventive aspiring ballerina creates a hat from a tissue box, and gives a backyard performance with her dog ("Tickets 5?"). When her pet steals the word "Me" from the text, all three children join up in hot pursuit of the pooch, attracting many other kids. On the final spread, the multicultural parade climbs over the word Me! as if it were an enticing piece of playground equipment. Davenier's distinctive, lively illustrations save the book from being an endorsement of the Me-too generation's fixation on the self. She transforms it into a celebration of creativity and emphasizes all those human endeavors that both set us apart and bring us together. Ages 3-6. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This is the picture-book version of Prelutsky's ode to individuality, originally anthologized in The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983). In the brief lines of verse, children celebrate the things that make them unique emotionally ("No other ME I AM can feel/the feelings I've within"), physically ("no other ME I AM can fit/precisely in my skin"), and universally ("I am the only ME I AM/this earth shall ever see"). The poem is repeated three times, each time featuring a different child. Readers meet a girl who would rather roller skate and ride her bike than wear frilly dresses, a boy who loves science and nature, and a budding ballerina who loves being center stage. In the end, the youngsters come together and they are joined by many other children, all celebrating with the last line, "-that ME I AM I always am/is no one else but-/ME!" Davenier's colorful illustrations capture the ebullience of the children as well as their intensity as they pursue their interests. Her delicate use of watercolors and her sketchy line create the feeling of gaiety and movement, yet elegantly convey personality and emotion. As a result, the poem comes alive with a freshness that honors children on the road to self-discovery and exuberantly celebrates the differences that make them who they are.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
I am the only me I am / who qualifies as me..."" Prelutsky's paean to individuality (originally published in a 1983 anthology) is repeated three times, each instance describing a different child. Davenier's energetic illustrations celebrate the kids' distinctly different interests (rollerskating, examining bugs, dancing). The poem itself, though expressing laudable sentiments, verges on trite and is not Prelutsky's strongest. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Prelutsky's poem, which originally appeared in The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983), propels French artist Davenier's cheerful watercolors. The poem's quartet of four-line stanzas riffs on the theme of personal uniqueness: "There is no other ME I AM / who thinks the thoughts I do; / the world contains one ME I AM, / there is no room for two." The poem repeats three times, with Davenier successively supplying three active children whose rooms brim with the trappings of their intense interests. A girl who loves raucous pretend play--abetted by a cape, pirate wear and a goldfish sidekick--leads off. A boy who loves nature and tending its creatures is next, followed by a brown-skinned girly girl who dances before a row of stuffed toys. The artist uses appealing spot illustrations to reveal each child's disparate imagination at work. On the last few spreads, the trio converges, joining a phalanx of milling children celebrating both the concept, and the giant, yellow-lettered word: "ME!" Slight, but not without its charms. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
