Synopsis
"Just Like Me" written and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a collection of beautiful illustrations and poems that celebrate the diverse experience of young girls. Each poem explores new themes of self-love, inclusivity, and empowerment. Brantley-Newton’s illustrations are full of diversity; from race and ethnicity to ability and backgrounds, which work together to encourage young girls to come together and make a difference in the world. The book dives into embracing the joy of life but also recognizes the complexities of life that a lot of young girls face.
Anti-Bias Elements
Collaborative Social Justice:
By portraying girls coming together and uniting for social justice, the book sends a powerful anti-bias message. It emphasizes that creating positive change is a collective effort, challenging the notion that responsibility lies solely with one person. This collaborative spirit promotes inclusivity and shared responsibility.
Diverse Representation:
This book actively challenges stereotypes by featuring characters from different races, ethnicities, abilities, and lifestyles along with their lived experiences. This diversity contributes to an anti-bias perspective, allowing young readers to see themselves and others in a positive and inclusive light.
Understanding New Emotions:
One of my favorite parts of this book was how Brantley-Newton addressed the expectation that children should be happy all the time, by diving into the validity of all feelings, and highlighting the importance of acknowledging and accepting a full range of emotions. This approach encourages emotional intelligence and resilience in young readers.
Review
I would definitely recommend this book to teachers looking to add anti-bias books to their classrooms/curriculum; for all the reasons mentioned above, but also because they can choose the speed at which they read the book because each page is its own poem and can be understood without context.
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