Am I Pretty? - a bookwrap

"Sometimes people are beautiful.  Not in looks.  Not in what they say.  Just in what they are. "  - Marcus Zusak


"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson


Let the unwrapping begin.........

This book is authored by Lindsay Jenson Berke. Let's unwrap some more of it and take a peek at the wonderful illustrations created by Susan Shorter.  I think you're going to like them a lot....

This book is an ideal one to build up your little girl's self-esteem.  When your child is faced with bullying or "not fitting in" because she is not pretty enough this is the book to reach for to start a conversation about your child's uniqueness. This leads to the perfect opportunity to tell her how special she is and why you think she is just right the way she is, a beautiful creation to be celebrated.

Julia, on her recess break, faces sandbox divas who won't allow her to play with them because she isn't wearing nail polish and because of that they are more pretty.  Very disturbed by their remarks Julia gets off the bus and talks to her mom about maybe painting her nails so she will be accepted by those girls and then asks her mom the question, "Am I pretty?"

Her wise mother assures and inspires Julia with these words, "Julia, you are pretty smart...And you are pretty strong...pretty kind...and pretty brave... and pretty amazing.  I love everything about you.  But 'pretty' is too small a word to describe you.  You will always be so much more than pretty."

These healing words flow from her mother's heart to her daughter's  assuring her she is perfect just the way she is. They empower Julia to go back to school the next day to face her bullies with the reassurance that she isn't just pretty she is way beyond that and even more.  With or without nail polish...(and that choice is totally up to her not forced upon her by peer pressure) she is a "pretty" cool kid and she now has the self-confidence to prove it.

The illustrations are bright, colourful, happy and expressive.  


Here's the author:  

"Am I Pretty?" is an excellent girls' book that can help build healthy, balanced self esteem in girls, especially when they encounter bullying and competitive behaviors in others. Julia is an imaginative girl who faces sandbox 'princesses' who tell her she must paint her nails in order to be allowed to play with them in their sandbox, because they look the prettiest, and she must conform to join their club. Julia discusses the idea of using nail polish and looking pretty with her mother, who gives her wise counsel. No matter how carefully Julia dresses herself, she wonders, "Am I pretty?" She asks her mom again. The answer is inspiring: "Julia, you are pretty smart... And you are pretty strong... pretty kind... and pretty brave... and pretty amazing. I love everything about you. But 'pretty' is too small a word to describe you. You will always be so much more than pretty." This empowering message is reinforced with descriptions and examples of each trait in Julia's behavior, as well as with resoundingly cheerful, creative, optimistic rainbow colored images and illustrations. "Am I Pretty?" does a spectacular job of dealing with the subject of objectifying beauty in children, while providing basic empowerment to girls with self esteem and body image issues or challenges.

Read on and read always!

It's a wrap.