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CM . . .
. Volume 21 Number 20 . . . . January 30, 2015
excerpt:
Look at Me Now! is a baby board book that follows a busy toddler through his activity filled day. The story begins with a reminder that he is growing bigger every day and is capable of doing so many exciting things. He can feed himself, help get himself undressed, and point to many of his body parts. He attends a storytime and goes grocery shopping with his mom and comes home to play and climb the stairs with his dad. The story ends with bedtime cuddling and reading for this energetic toddler. This story is a realistic portrayal of life with an active 18-month-old baby, and it celebrates the many developmental milestones that children reach around this age, such as climbing stairs, making friends, and learning to talk. It captures the pride that toddlers take in mastering new skills every day. Toddlers are likely to see themselves in the main character of this story as it depicts many experiences that most toddlers will find they have in common. Look at Me Now! will be engaging for young audiences as the text is simple but playful, and the text on each page also rhymes which creates an appealing rhythm for readers and listeners. The illustrations in Look at Me Now! are brightly coloured and highly focussed on the characters and the activities they are performing. Children at this age are very interested in illustrations that depict people doing activities they recognize, and, while these illustrations are not ‘realistic’ exactly (they are cartoon-like and appear to be ink on paper), they are still clearly images of people doing everyday activities. Toddlers will find this relatable and engaging. The illustrations in this book are inclusive in many ways. In the illustrations at the storytime and play group, children and adults of different races, genders, and abilities are represented. In all the illustrations, the main character is wearing many different colours (and is essentially without gender). All of the toys are ones that both boys and girls would like to play with, and the foods are generic enough that children will likely feel that they eat something similar to what this character does. This inclusivity in the illustrations is a strength in this book and will help engage most readers. Overall, Look at Me Now! is a sweet book that will resonate for toddlers and parents alike as they see themselves portrayed in the story. The text has a lyrical quality, and the illustrations are appealing. This would be a good purchase for public libraries. Recommended.
Carla Epp is a hospital librarian with the University of Manitoba.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any
other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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