I Want to Be Somebody New!

Rating:
Summary: Children love this one
Review: My children love this book. I noticed that someone reviewed and pointed out that the children say that Spot is fat when he is in the shape of an elephant. I don't care much for that myself, but it is a frequently used adjective. When teachers explain adjectives, they often use pretty/ugly, fat/thin, tall/short, and the like. It probably doesn't do much harm to describe an elephant as fat to a child. They probably hear their mothers say it about themselves on a regular basis; we all do it. The point in this book in which the word "fat" is introduced would be a good time to explain to your child that saying this about someone could hurt their feelings, which is probably the reason why Spot did not retain his elephant shape. The overall meaning of the story is to like yourself for who you are, and any shape or form has its pitfalls. This is an excellent book for beginning readers. The rhyming story makes it much more fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: Message is tricky in this book
Review: This is a fun rhyming book with the message that while changing into something different can be fun, it is just best to be yourself. The problem I have with the book is when the main character, Spot, changes into an elephant. The children respond with "You're very big, you're very fat. We do not care for you like that." I'm not sure that's a great message for kids to be hearing. They can be judgemental enough without planting the seed.