cover image Be Who You Are

Be Who You Are

Todd Parr. LB/Tingley, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-316-26523-2

“Be who you are,” begins Parr, in an emphatic call to embrace one’s individuality. “Be old. Be young. Be a different color.” (Given that this is a Parr book, it goes without saying that those colors could be purple, pink, or green.) Working in his customary boldly outlined, vibrantly colored drawing style, Parr balances bold proclamations with playful humor. “Learn in your own way,” he writes as a cat looks at a bowl of dog food, clearly intrigued; humans are encouraged to broaden their tastes, too, as Parr lines up a row of food trucks for a spread that reads “Try new things.” Subtle visual moments should speak to the readers who need them (a boy wears a feather boa, a mouse stands up to a cat with a firm “no!”), but there’s nothing quiet about Parr’s overall point, which roars across several pages in capital letters: “Just be who you are!” Ages 3–6. (Oct.)