What If I’m Not a Cat?

written by Kari-Lynn Winters and illustrated by Kelly Collier

Donkey is a cat – or so he thinks. He acts like a cat. He cuddles the other kitties in the barn, he pounces and he perches. But, sometimes things don’t feel quite right. He doesn’t like cat food and climbing? That’s hard. One day, the farmer said something that made him question himself. She said “Donkey, you’re acting like a cat.” What? Is this true? He and his kitty friends start to wonder. Sadly, Donkey walks away to sleep under a tree by himself. Suddenly, he heard a kitten meow in distress and ran to the rescue, kicking at a fox and saving the day. Upon his return to the barn with the kitten, the other cats cheerfully welcome him back, whatever he is. He decides that he is happy with who he is – a don-kitty!

This book tells a story of friendship and being who you are. Speech bubbles and cartoon-like illustrations help us grasp the personalities of the characters. The story is humorous, sweet and a great kick off to everything from lessons on animal traits to self-acceptance. Given its many possibilities, this is a great book for your library. Highly recommended.

I Will! by Juana Medina

This is a book of fourteen affirmations for young students. Each double page spread has hand-lettered words on one side and an accompanying illustration on the other. Characters are diverse in ethnicity and ability and the illustrations are digitally rendered in bright colors, which is very engaging for the target audience.

Affirmations are split between those that help others and those that are more self reflective. Examples include “I will help those in need and ask for help when I need it”. This book will be very useful for discussion with young children about being the best they can be to themselves and others. And, as the story says “I will join with you to make this a better world for everyone”. Recommended