I Love Me!

by Laronda Gardner Middlemiss, Beth Hughes (Illustrations)

Through illustrations and simple, rhyming text a group of children celebrates their own bodies, pointing out how their diverse arms bend and fold, their teeth shine, and more.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Self Esteem, Childrens, Disability

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 21, 2020

About the author

LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss is a picture book author, who came to writing by way of motherhood. Her son’s love of story time, which for him meant anytime, immersed her in the wonderful world of picture books. Enjoying books with various themes and approaches to storytelling, from the quirky to the quiet, eventually inspired her to begin writing stories of her own.
By day she is an engineer and when not busy battling wits with her husband or having fun with her son, she enjoys listening to children’s book themed podcasts, gaining insight from NPR, and watching movies. She also likes creating art and hopes to someday both author and illustrate her own books. Books that will entertain, enlighten and empower children across the globe.

Reviews

[Jolene Gutiérrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gorgeous book uses rhyming text and bold, colorful illustrations to explore how much kids love themselves and their different body types, abilities, and features. A happy celebration of humanity that belongs in every home, library, and classroom!

[Norene Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE ME is a celebration. It celebrates individuality, diversity, and the power of loving yourself and everything that makes you YOU. From "the tip of my nose to my ticklish toes" the refrain I Love Me! is a reminder that we are all unique and special. Paired with Hughes' delightfully bold and bright art, Middlemiss's simple yet powerful rhyming text shouts positivity from every page. This message of self-love and self-acceptance is one every child needs to hear over and over again. A "must-have" for parents, grandparents, caretakers, and teachers.

[Elizabeth Bedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This empowering story is perfect for children of all ages. It shows the importance of embracing and including all abilities, ethnicities, and body shapes and sizes, while nurturing self-esteem and self-confidence. The reader is greeted on each page with Gardner-Middlemiss’s rhythmic, jubilant text and Hughes’ bright, cheerful illustrations. This inspiring book will have kids of every age shouting joyously, “I Love Me!”.

[Abi Cushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love Me! is a beautiful, affirming picture book that celebrates kids just as they are. The gentle rhyming text and vibrant illustrations will make it a hit with caregivers/teachers as well as their young audiences. A surefire favorite for your bookshelf.

[A.J. Irving · Rating 4 out of 5]

This empowering picture book celebrates diversity, body-positivity, and self-love. The rhyming text and vibrant illustrations will certainly inspire young readers to shout, “I love me!”

[Crystal]

I enjoyed the text. The illustrations are bright and lively and include many types of identities. Some of the illustrations seemed to fall into stereotypes though. The children who may be meant to be of Asian descent were what I noticed most in particular with slanted eyes.

[Anita Amin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about self-acceptance and diversity and a beautiful reminder to love ourselves and show love to others, despite differences. With bright illustrations, short gentle text, and an easy to remember refrain, this delightful book is a fast but important read for young and older children alike - and a good reminder for adults too!

[Katia Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book celebrates curiosity and appreciation of being yourself. The words are broad and universal and the illustrations show us a variety of characters and specific situations. This book is a fun one to read aloud together with your child.

[Two BookWorms Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s celebrate the wonders – and uniqueness – of our human body! This book brings us an awareness of just how perfect we really are.

For the full review: https://wordpress.com/post/twobookwor...

[Nanette Heffernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful lyrical exploration of all the things to love about yourself that celebrates all body types, skin colors, and more. I LOVE ME! makes an excellent kinesthetic read aloud with small children, helping them to explore the details that make them special from their eyes, to their toes, to all the amazing ways their bodies can move.

[Skylaar Amann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love Me! reminds each of us of our worth, value, and inherent self-love. The messaging is sweet and simple, each word seems to be lovingly picked to echo the overarching theme of loving one's self. The illustrations showcase many types of people, including skin colors, hair textures, disabilities, and interests that feels inclusive and never othering. A quick read that is well worth your time!

[Charlotte Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The exuberant text and illustrations mirror self-love for children of all ethnicities, abilities, religions, and body types. A wonderful read-aloud to celebrate diversity.

[Lisa Katzenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet book about loving all the qualities of yourself. This cute picture book is told in rhyme with a fun bounce and full of diversity. This is a wonderful affirming book that will help children feel confident enough to shout “I love me!”

[Myrna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love LaRonda’s empowering message and the diverse cast of characters illustrated by Beth Hughes. This is a picture book that includes all kinds of children without talking down to any of them.

I wish I'd had this book when I was a preschool teacher.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stating the obvious. Stating the obvious. Stating the obvious, toddler-style.

Children make a show of their love for themselves. Whether others are watching or not. For instance, a trio of kids, all with wide-open grins, are saying in unison:

I love the way
my arms bend and fold.

Later, four kids sit in a row of chairs -- perhaps awaiting haircuts? This time, a quartet of kids, all with wide-open grins, are saying in unison:

I love me from every hair strand.

FIVE STARS, sure, in honor of the intended audience.

Personally, though, I cringed. Who talks like that? And what's with this over-the-top screaming about me-me-me? All that extreme, public self-praising -- is that really supposed to build self-esteem?

Strangest of all, nearly every child pictured here has the same bizarre expression: The biggest smile physically possible. Incidentally, I found a mirror and tried to copy this expression, which I had never made before. It hurt. Even physically, it hurt.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely rhyming poem about loving yourself for who you are, from head to toes. In addition to being an uplifting, feel good book for kids, this book can be used to talk about body parts with toddlers and preschoolers because the book mentions a ton of body parts - arms, legs, teeth, chin, shins, etc…

Cartoon like illustrations show a large diversity of children in all shapes, sizes and skin colors.

[Carolyn Leiloglou · Rating 4 out of 5]

For any child who struggles with body image because of their skin, hair, size, or ability, this sweet book will help them feel positively about themselves. With fun rhyming text that kids will love and illustrations that show kids of every race and ability, no child will feel left out of this book.

[Kristen Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderfully positive book about self acceptance. The bright illustrations showcase children of all sizes, shapes, skin colors, and abilities, therefore ensuring readers will see themselves somewhere on its pages. The rhyming text and refrain of "I love me" makes it a fun read aloud. This book checks all the boxes!

[Rashmi Bismark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautiful celebration of diversity and the power of caring for ourselves and each other's unique qualities. What an important message for youth (and adults)! Rhyming text and vibrant illustrations make this one to keep coming back to. #representationmatters Thank you Ms. Middlemiss for allowing our differences to be seen and appreciated.

[Amy Nielander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE ME! is a cheerful book showcasing diversity. Children of various ethnicities, body types, disabilities and more are celebrated on every page. The rhyming text is inviting and walks the reader through familiar activities. I love how every page radiates with positivity! I LOVE ME! would be a wonderful book to read a classroom on the first-day-of-school.

[Susan Novich · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I Love Me!” is the sort of sweet, joyous, and self-affirming celebration of individuality that belongs on every child’s book shelf. Children will enjoy the rhyming text and lively illustrations; perhaps even more importantly, they will be able to see themselves reflected on the pages of this engaging book, and appreciate their own uniqueness.

[Debra Daugherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet picture book about self worth and love of oneself. It's inclusive for all. I enjoyed the illustrations showing children of every size and race, and some with health issues. Children can identify with this story, done in lovely rhyme. This book about love of body and self represents all children.

[Serena Gingold Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With simple rhymes and boldly colored illustrations, this cheerful book helps children to focus some love on themselves. So much time is spent telling children to be kind to others and this book is a direct reminder to turn some of that kindness inwards. This sweet book can be enjoyed by all children--not just because the message is for everyone but because the artwork is so inclusive.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of kids (all different skin tones, fat and thin and in between, with different abilities), celebrate their awesome bodies. The rhyming text is clear and straightforward, the illustrations are bold and dynamic. A satisfying self-love read.

Themes: I love myself, Differences connect, bodies
Age range: Toddler through kindergarten

[Natasha]

Multiple children with different adaptive devices are shown, including a child with a wheelchair on the cover, and multiple children with various arm and leg prosthetics, crutches, eye patches, hearing aids, and eyeglasses. Many shades of skin are depicted including vitiligo. Children are show wearing various religious clothing, including patka and hijab.

[Candace Spizzirri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A celebration of self-acceptance and self-love. Important for all kids and adults to hear and take to heart. I really enjoyed the pairing of the rhyming text with bold, colorful illustrations. Well done, LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss, Beth Hughes, and Beaming Books.

[Jordan Mingus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had very inclusive language and even better illustrations. This book features everyone of every kind. Different disabilities different skin tones and what I thought was a nice touch, different hair types! This is an amazing book and it helps show the positivity I want in the world today.

[Elissa Luckhardt]

super supportive and loving book highlighting all the unique things that we all have, and similar things, that we should all appreciate and value and love ourselves for just being us, just how we are!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this but ultimately settled on 4 stars because I wanted to see more ability-diverse characters within the pages, otherwise this would have been an easy 5 for me.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vibrant and happy celebration of all kinds of kids. This definitely delivers a great message of self-acceptance and positivity.