Just the Way You Are

by Marcus Pfister

The animals are having a party and they all dream about looking different for the big event. Clever die-cuts offer tantalizing glimpses of each animals' imaginary transformation, then open to wonderfully whimsical double-page spreads-an elephant with a kangaroo's pouch, a lion with a toucan's wings and bright beak. Funny sights indeed, but in the end all the animal friends agree that they like each other just the way they are. Children will be reassured by this entertaining animal mix-and-match fantasy, which offers a warm and gentle affirmation of true friendship.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2002

About the author

Marcus Pfister was born in Berne, Switzerland, and began his career as a graphic artist in an advertising agency. In 1983, he decided to dedicate more time to artistic pursuits, and began to write and illustrate his first book, The Sleepy Owl, which was published in 1986. His best-known work to date is The Rainbow Fish, which has remained on bestseller lists across the United States since 1992.

Marcus does most of his illustrations for children's books in watercolors. He begins each book by stretching watercolor paper over a wooden board so that it won't warp when wet. He then copies his rough sketches onto the paper in pencil. At this point, he is ready to begin painting. For backgrounds and blended contours, he uses wet paint on wet paper to get a softer effect. For sharper details, he first lets the paper dry, then paints the final picture layer by layer. When the illustration is complete he cuts the paper from the wooden board.

For books that feature holographic foil stamping, he then tapes a piece of transparent film over the art and indicates with a black marker where the foil stamping should be. The foil stamping is then applied during the production process after the pages are printed and before the final binding.

Marcus and his wife, Kathryn, work together in Berne, where they live with their three children.

Reviews

[Sanja_Sanjalica]

Such great and clever illustrations and perfectly placed cut-outs, and as always a great message.

[Brenna Sims]

Key words: The way you are, wished.

In the children's book Just the way you are animals struggle with their appearance and feel the desire to look like one another just to hang out with other animals. They find comfort in the fact that other animals admire them just the way that they are. Despite their personal opinions about themselves they unite all together.

Just the way you are is a picture book that uses die- cut pages to allow students to see what they would look like if the animals were what they wanted to be. This book would be used well in a younger classroom, because it promotes body positivity. This would allow children to see that they are loved just the way they are.

[Kaylee Klaassen]

Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade Range: 1st - 2nd

This was a cute book. I loved the illustrations and the cut-outs in the pages were cool too. It was funny that every animal wished that they were different or like another animal in some way. I loved at the end, that all the animals realized that someone else admired something about them. This book has a really great message for kids. You may dislike something about yourself or wish you could be different in some way, but that thing you dislike, may be the thing that someone else admires the most about you. Just change your perspective!

[Brooke]

Grades: Pre-k
Genre: Fiction
Book was cute, it had holes in each picture to make a different picture with the last page, which was entertaining. Had a good story line, makes you realize that everyone is different, and that you are perfect just the way you are. Everyone wants something that others have, maybe if we start telling people what we like about each other, people would start liking how they look a lot more. Rate 5-5

[McKayla Aswell]

I thought the book was really nice to read for a child. This encourages confidence in oneself. I think this book could even refresh adults confidence. Many children doubt their abilities as they are growing up to figure out who they are. As a teacher, I would read this book to my classroom to encourage all the kids to appreciate their different skills.

[Abbey Pignatari]

3/5 (physical book)

Just The Way You Are is a story about accepting yourself for who you are. It is cutely told through the eyes of jungle animals, and each time one of the characters wishes to look like a different animal, another one jumps in to say that though it would be funny to see, they like them just the way they are. I think this is an extremely important message to spread to young readers because self-acceptance can be a very difficult thing.

[Maki]

Great story about loving yourself just the way you are.

[Melanie Gaum]

Too repetitive.

[Emily]

In this book, the animals are all preparing to attend a party! But, there is one problem. None of them want to go because they want to look like or be like another animal. They eventually realize that it is okay to just be them, just the way they are. This story has a great message for kids, it shows that even though you may want to look or be like someone else being who you are is the best person you can be!

[Ina Silverness]

Just The Way You are is about a Hedgehog who is invited to the party but doesn't ;want to go because he isn't like anyone else. He wants to have one physical quality that someone else has.


This book could be utilized during the first week of school to remind students that each one of them is unique, and they should focus on the qualities that make others who they are. They should not wish to be anyone but themselves, because they are unique

[Andrea Tuura]

A group of animal friends imagine what life would be like if only they could look more like a different animal. The animals come to realize how silly their thoughts are when they discover all the animals are wishing to be something else. They all come to realize they are special and unique just the way they are.

This book would be great for the first couple weeks of school. It shows students that although they may be different, they are wonderful just as they are!

[Kelci Cox-Griswold]

When Hedgehog invites Lion to a party he says that he doesn't know if he will go because he doesn't think that anyone cares. He believes if he was more like Toucan everyone would admire him. The other animals all feel the same way. I really liked this book. This would be great to show kids it's alright to like things that others have, but they should also be proud of what they have.

[Brenda]

As the animals prepare to attend a party, they all wish they were more like the other animals. The lion wishes he had a beak and wings like the toucan. The hedgehog dreams of being bright and shiny like the chameleon...A lighthearted tale of how we all have talents and gifts that are unique to us and we should be proud of those.

[Kayla Jensen]

Brenda read this to us in class today and it perfectly fit because it was a predictable book, which we discussed. This would be an excellent book to read during the first week of class because it talks about everyone being unique and people appreciating that quality about them. I will definitely be reading this in the future!

[Miles Hagen]

This book is about various animals wishing they had various parts of other different animals such as a toucan beak. In the end the animals tell each other that they like each other just the way they are and are all very happy that the other animals admire them. This book would be good for teaching children that they are all unique and they should embrace their differences and be proud of them.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

I liked the idea of this story--that you should be satisfied with who you are, and not try to be someone you're not. The illustrations, however, just didn't do it for me. The cutouts every other page really didn't seem necessary. I don't think this was one of Pfister's best books.

[Cara Mcmannis]

This book is a great read with a great message! The story is about an number of animals who wish they looked like a different animal. The lesson learned through this book is that everyone is unique and that everyone has different strengths.

[Sara]

Love this book; very cute and funny with a good message about being yourself. My niece loves this book too; she loves the repetition because she can kind of read it along with me even though she cant read yet. One of my new favorite kid's books.

[Jenn]

A predictable text that allows children (or me) to see what is going to come next in the text. The pictures are lively and keep a reader engaged. This would be good to use during the fist week of school to help children understand that everyone is different and should be included.

[Breana Vining]

As silly as the story is-it too teaches acceptance and is an inspiring book to read to children.

[Rayn]

Wel geinig, maar uiteindelijk verteld de achterkant in feite al het hele verhaal. Het leukste aan dit boek zijn gewoon de doorkijkjes in de bladzijden.