Welcome to Buddy’s Book Review! A review of our favorite children’s books here at The Nest Schools. We thoroughly believe in the power of literature, and we are excited to introduce wonderful new children’s books to our families in hopes that they will expand their own home libraries as we expand our own!
How will we review and rate each book? Each book will be rated in terms of likeness to our core values: kindness, fun, wellness, and innovation. Five beautiful feathers will be given for the core value we think that each book represents the best. Happy Reading!
Karen Beaumont’s “I Like Myself” dives into the concept of unconditionally loving yourself for all that you are. Told in a joyful rhyme that ebbs and flows and gets stuck in your head, Beaumont’s story follows a young girl and her dog while she recites all the things, she loves about herself. No matter if it is her crazy hair or her beaver breath, she finds all the good and “bad” qualities about herself lovely despite what anyone else has to say.
Illustrated by political cartoonist David Catrow, the drawings are whimsical and captivating. Each page holds many colors, shapes, patterns, and characters such as a scared lion, a blue bully, a man in a polka dot hat, and more!
At The Nest Schools, we have created an entire program surrounding the concept of caring for ourselves and others. Danielle Hunter, The Nest School’s Director of Education, knows how important this is to young children. “The Art of Living celebrates self-love and prioritizes self-care by encouraging children to practice caring for themselves. Several of the programs’ activities center around recognizing emotions, building an awareness of self, and much of the weekly curriculum surrounds building a healthy sense of self-confidence.”
Activities in this program include: opportunities to create self-portraits, games that build body awareness and identification, and practicing self-love with mirror affirmations such as standing in front of the mirror and striking a strong pose while telling ourselves “We ARE strong!”
Buddy gives I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont five feathers for KINDNESS. Showing unconditional love for yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks or says, is an act of kindness for yourself! Being kind, even on your messiest moments, improves your mood, self-esteem, and your ability to show the same love to others.
While this book is an important lesson for young children, it serves as a great reminder for the adults who read along with their young ones!