Looking Like Me

by Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers (Illustrator)

Overview

When you look in a mirror, who do you see?

A boy? A girl?
A son? A daughter?
A runner? A dancer?

Whoever and whatever you see―just put out your fist and give yourself an "I am" BAM!

This jumping, jazzy, joyful picture book by the award-winning team of Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers celebrates every child, and everything that a child can be.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606840016
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/27/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.28(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.41(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Walter Dean Myers has received accolades including the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, Michael L. Printz Award, National Book Award Finalist, and Newbery Honors. In 2019 he was posthumously awarded the Children's Literature Legacy Award.

Christopher Myers is an award-winning picture book writer and illustrator, but that's not all. He is also a fine artist, a filmmaker, a photographer, a video artist, a clothes designer, and a proud Brooklynite. Christopher has won many awards for his children's books, including a Caldecott Honor, four Coretta Scott King Honors, three Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors, a New York Times Best Illustrated citation, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor. A graduate of Brown University, Christopher was a member of the prestigious Whitney Museum Studio Program. His fine art has been shown in museums and galleries around the country, including PS1, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (Philadelphia), and the Museum of Contemporary Arts (Chicago). His film on Kenya for the Sundance Institute and the Gates Foundation has been used to launch Sundance's Short Film Challenge.

Editorial Reviews

"The sassy rhythm and empowering message of this poem in picture book format will appeal to both students and teachers alike. As Jeremy goes about his day, he contemplates everything that makes him unique. He walks around his urban neighborhood and discovers that he is a son, brother, artist, dreamer, runner, and much more. Throughout the book, his strong connections with his community and his family are emphasized. The reader can feel Jeremy's energy and hear his exuberant voice. This joyful, confident, well-adjusted, and well-rounded character is a nice change from typical minority stereotypes. The vibrant and bold collage art adds to the energy of the book. This book can be used in a poetry unity and can kick off a writing assignment where students discover what makes them unique. It can be used in art class as an example of using collage and photographs in art. Counselors can use it with self-esteem units. Students will enjoy the jazzy rhythm and upbeat message of the poem. The possibilities for this book are endless. Highly Recommended." —starred review, Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

The Myerses-father and son-reunite for a poetic celebration of self that blends a sort of Whitman-esque hip-hop with '70s-vibe visuals. Adapting the cumulative cadences of Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Walter Dean Myers's text immediately establishes a preeminent self-affirmation: "I looked in the mirror / And what did I see? / A real handsome dude looking just like me." Narrator Jeremy hears from a succession of family, neighbors and community members and adds role after role to his portfolio. He's a brother, son, writer, city kid, artist, dancer, talker, runner, dreamer: "Looked in the mirror- / I look like a crowd." Christopher Myers overlays eclectic photo collages with stylized, silhouetted figures in saturated hues of chartreuse, butternut, chocolate, magenta and more. The text's two upper-case typefaces look like gritty, spray-painted stencils and whimsical woodcuts. There's a touch of call-and-response in the refrain ("He put out his fist. / I gave it a BAM!") that begs to be read aloud. This vibrant synthesis of poetry and pictures is a natural for classrooms and family sharing. (author's note, not seen) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews