Sweet Peas READ: Be Yourself

Which ones are the good books?

This is the question I asked last month when I started this new series on the blog. There are SO many out there, but it’s tough to know where they are.  We all need great book recommendations, so I hope you’ll keep a few of these in mind the next time you’re looking for some good reads for your little ones.

For January, our picks surround the theme of “Be Yourself.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson (which coincidentally was my grandfather’s full name, my mother’s maiden name, and Em’s namesake) once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” It’s true, isn’t it?

Be Yourself…something that I feel like I’m just starting to truly own, now that I’m in my thirties(!)…a lesson that I think all parents want to teach their children.  But how do we teach such a big and important lesson?  Start with a book.  These few books, along with many others not mentioned here, touch on this very topic. This month, Sweet Peas READ…

! (Exclamation Mark)

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

The same author that wrote Little Pea, another great book we recommended when we made Pea Pesto Dip, wrote this AMAZING story that tells about an exclamation mark that doesn’t want to stand out from the crowd.  He wants to be just like his friends, the periods.  Then one day, he meets someone new….a question mark…and everything changes.  

This book is ADORABLE and I LOVE the message it shares about being yourself and discovering all the special things about YOU.  I think the message is especially fitting for those tween years, kids who are in the beginning phase of wanting to fit in with their friends and not wanting to stick out.  With each page turn, I let out an “Awww!” or a “Yes!” as I read this great book.  You’ll probably check it out at the library, read it, love it and then buy it…just like we did.  It was a must-have for our collection. Ack! I love this book.

 The Okay Book

By Todd Parr

We discovered this colorful book while browsing through the board book section of the library several months ago.  It is now one of our favorites and we basically just keep renewing it every time we go back to the library…gosh, we just need to buy it!  In Todd Parr‘s simple, wonderful, sometimes serious and sometimes silly way, The Okay Book describes how it’s okay to just Be Yourself! “It’s okay to have no hair” but also, “It’s okay to put a fish in your hair”! He addresses everything from having fears and what clothes we wear, to sharing and having different color skin.

Once again, I LOVE the message this book sends to even the youngest of readers.  The pictures are drawn simply, yet are vibrant and colorful, which I think is especially appealing to little ones. I particularly like the page that says, “It’s okay to try new things” and shows a picture of a girl tasting chocolate-covered bugs! We quote it often when we come across a new food or a new activity we’d like Em to try.  Kids are learning new things everyday and sometimes, I think they just need to hear that certain things are “okay” to do or to be.  Love this one.

Giraffes Can’t Dance

By Giles Andreae

Poor Gerald can’t dance.  And when all the animals get together for a party, Gerald is laughed out of the jungle dance, feeling sad and alone.  Luckily, Gerald meets a friendly grasshopper who teaches him an important lesson: “Dance to the beat of your own drum” or in other words, Be Yourself!

Oh, this book is so sweet.  Gerald is so adorably clumsy, you just can’t help but feel for the guy! And I think the grasshopper’s role in this story is a good reminder that sometimes we need a friend (or family member or teacher) to help highlight the wonderful things inside of us.  I wanted to cheer out loud for Gerald when he finally found his rhythm.  Full of beautiful illustrations and singsongy rhymes, Giraffes Can’t Dance is one of our favorites.

What does your “Sweet Pea” like to read?