Just Like Me

   

Author: Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley-Newton 

Genre: Poetry

Grade: Preschool-3

 

Summary: 

Just Like Me represents girls of different backgrounds and experiences, embracing who they are, and standing together. There are girls who proudly embrace their body, hair, or weirdness. There are girls who boldly describe themselves as being a canvas, song, warrior, or explorer. Then, there are girls who embrace their hardships/challenges, such as the girl who wishes to have a father, the girl who stands up against bullies, the girl who hates her pimples, and the girl who is shy. Though every girl’s story is different, they are able to identify their worth, celebrate one another, and build each other up. This book showcases the beauty of diversity, uniqueness, authenticity, and unity.

Element One: Self-love and Knowledge:

This book represents self-love and knowledge by representing a variety of girls in different situations, who still manage to embrace themselves, where they are. Some girls are happy, some are proud, some are unfulfilled, some are in unfavorable circumstances, and yet that does not change their beauty or the perception they have of themselves. The message that this book sends is “You are enough, where you are. You do not need to wish to be someone else in order to feel important. You are not alone.”  

Activity: 

Class project where students either draw themselves or bring in a photograph of themselves to place at the center of a poster-board. Around their portrait, they are to draw or find images of objects, symbols, and/or words from magazines, newspapers, or the internet, that make them unique and describes them. The descriptions can be anything they want: cultural, familial, hobbies, interests, dreams etc. The point of this project would be for students to recognize their uniqueness and individuality, and to celebrate themselves, just as they are. There is only one YOU! Students would then be able to present in front of their classmates in order to create a safe space, where everyone could share their posters.

 

Teacher Resources 

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