Title: Be You!
Author & Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Published: August 2020
Publisher: Scholastic
Readership: Children
Genre: Picturebook
Rating: ★★★★★
RRP: $24.99
I received a copy of Be You from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Be curious…
Be adventurous…
Be brave…
BE YOU!
Discover a joyful reminder of the ways that every child is unique and special, from the beloved creator of The Dot, Happy Dreamer, and New York Times bestseller, The Word Collector. Here, Reynolds reminds readers to “be your own work of art.” To be patient, persistent, and true. Because there is one, and only one, YOU.
In the tradition of books like Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and I Wish You More comes a wholly original, inspirational celebration of individuality as only Peter H. Reynolds can create!
Peter H. Reynolds is an author/illustrator who I love, and I’m always on the lookout for new books from him. They’re always so positive and optimistic and focus on the good things in life and how we can learn to tune into them.
Be You is a gorgeous picture book with a wonderful message.
It opens with the line You were born to be so many things, and then from there we explore a whole list of character traits that can be found inside each and every person, and a way to embody that trait. Coupled with Reynolds’ distinctive illustrative style, the entire book is just a gorgeous celebration of how wonderful people can be when they focus on being them.
If I put my teacher hat on, this a book you could definitely read through from cover to cover and enjoy the bright, whimsical images and the beautiful message. But, it would be such a powerful book to read slowly, and unpack or focus in on only one or two pages at a time and use it as a way to build all of these traits within our students. There’s so much potential in this book, and it’s definitely one that put a smile on my face while reading it.
This is a must-have picture book for any collection. The synopsis refers to it as along the same lines of Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss, and it’s a very apt reference. We need books with positive messages, that encourage us to celebrate who we are, and that celebrate the diversity of us, and Be You does that beautifully.
Noveltea Corner 