YOUNG ADULTING

Music is a powerful force. It can make us cry, it can make us dance, it can bring people together, and it can also affect how we see ourselves. In I Like The Me I See! we’re guided on a journey of self-affirmation and empowerment by Jessica “Culture Queen” Hebron, the award-winning writer, singer, performer, songwriter and teacher who has dedicated her life to supporting children and youth through cultural awareness and self-affirmation.

I Like The Me I See is all about body positivity and encouraging readers to love their differences and uniqueness. Culture Queen’s rhythms help guide the reader along in celebrating all the parts that make us different, like hair, eyes, nose, lips and knees and toes, and tummies, too. It’s a build-up to a declaration that we might be different, but that’s okay because I Like The Me I See.

The illustrations by Solomia Kovalchuk bring the story to life. The colours are vibrant and warm. The pictures cause the reader to take in the whole page, focusing on minute details before moving onto the next page. The movement of the characters reflects the focus of the text and gives the pages a life that matches the rhythm.  

There is a resource page with links to the Culture Queen’s website for kids (www.culturekingdomkids.com) and links to Amazon, Google and iTunes where readers can find songs and music videos.

This picture book would be excellent in a school’s collection, a public library, and at home.

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Jocelyne Gregory is a UBC MFA creative writing candidate and a graduate of SFU’s The Writer’s Studio. She’s an author and editor and has provided manuscript consultations with the Sechelt Public Library and the Writer’s Studio. A lifelong gamer and fan of comics, she lives on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada.