I'm Just Me!!


Children - Coming of Age
42 Pages
Reviewed on 04/20/2020
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

A little boy knows how to entertain himself while his mother’s busy at work as a nurse or too tired after her shift to do much of anything. This little boy likes to read, draw, talk to his grandmother, tease the cat, and play with his toys. The boy enjoys his action figures, but he also enjoys playing with dolls and playing dress-up in his mother’s clothes. You see, he may look like a little boy on the outside, but inside he is something else. Not uncommon, when you think about it. Some boys are just boys; some girls are just girls. But, then again, some boys are more like girls inside while some girls are like boys outside. What really defines this gender equation? And does it really matter what we are inside and out? What’s important is that we appreciate who we are deep down; that we appreciate and honor being just ‘me’. That’s what the little boy claims: “I’m just me!” He’s lucky, too, as he has a very supportive mother and grandmother to help him accept himself for who he/she is, both inside and out.

Kody Christiansen’s picture book story, I’m Just Me!!, is a wonderful way to introduce gender differences in a way that young people can understand. The plot develops with a list of things the little boy enjoys doing, which he does all by himself since, sadly, he has no siblings and, I guess, no friends. The lack of friends is the real tragedy in this story. But his mother and grandmother make up for what he misses from the outside world. As the plot develops, the person we first see as a little boy evolves into his inner being, a little girl as he/she prepares to dress up for Halloween as a lady nurse, just like his/her mom. The illustrations are effective and the end of the book includes coloring and activities to help young readers define who they are: both inside and out. An intuitive presentation at an appropriate level for young readers.