Our 5 year old has been peppering us with questions lately. “Will my skin always be this color”? “Is my tummy getting big”? and his most recent was “Why don’t you like hair”? I told him that I like hair just fine, it’s just that I don’t have any on my head. Suffice it to say he’s talking about people’s differences in pre-K and what makes everyone unique. What Do You Love About You? by Karen Lechelt is right in his sweet spot of books now.
It starts out with a little girl asking a little dog in a suit what he likes about him. He likes his ears because it tickles when people whisper in his ear. The flamingo likes her long legs because she’s able to kick water. The chipmunk in the Punisher t-shirt likes his cheeks because blowing kisses is more fun that way.
She goes on to ask all manner of different animal what they like about them. Each animal goes on to say that they like the thing that makes them special because it allows them to do cool things. The giraffe’s long neck allows them to see the stars, yet it’s a very obvious trait that some mean animals might try to belittle.
Our son’s school has a very large special friends program. For a period of time he was the youngest student in that program. Every spring they have a special friends program where each class has a song or couple of song that they present. It’s a 45 minute program that allows those special students a chance to shine. Moreover, the attitude of acceptance permeates the student body all throughout the year.
What Do You Love About You? has a message that any child can relate to and needs to hear. The content of the book is intended for the picture book audience and will be good for ages three through six. Its art is simple, large and warm, with varied background colors and a variety of settings. This is pre-k book comfort food that they’ll enjoy reading over and over. The sparseness of the pages allow for side conversations to ask children what they like about them or what other animals might like about
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