To Thine Own Self Be True! Be Who You Are by Todd Parr

BE OLD! BE YOUNG!

BE A DIFFERENT COLOR!

Just be yourself! If being a different color suits you, as Todd Parr puts it, you can be seen as pink, purple, or green!

Of course, kids hearing this story are not going to get the opportunity to be purple, but Parr's latest, Be Who You Are (Little, Brown, 2016), does make a plea for trying out being whatever you can be.

TRY NEW THINGS!

And Parr's bright illustrations offer a choice of colorful food trucks to try--Tacos, pizzas, noodles!

A mouse tries out standing up to a cat, with a firm NO!

Parr's illustrations are super-saturated, super silly, and doubtlessly inviting for youngsters who will appreciate a little hyperbole along with their advice for conduct of life, and as a companion to his top-selling companion title, It's Okay To Be Different, Parr's brand-new book, Be Who You Are (Little, Brown and Company, 2016) is perfect for pairing as a read-aloud for preschoolers or an easy read-alone for beginning readers.

What Spots? Lucy Ladybug by Sharon King Chai

LUCY LADYBUG DIDN'T FEEL SHE BELONGED ANYWHERE.

"YOU CAN'T BE ONE OF US," CRIED THE OTHER LADYBUGS. "YOU HAVE NO SPOTS."

They're right! She doesn't! Lucy flies away, all alone.

Soon she sees Fred Frog and admires his beautiful green spots.

"YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, TOO," SAYS FRED. "HAVE ONE OF MINE!"

With one green spot, Lucy flies away, feeling better.

Then in the fall she sees Carla Caterpillar and admires her lovely golden spots, and Carla returns the compliment and contributes a gold spot for Lucy's carapace. Lucy loves her twin spots.

But that winter Lucy spots Felicity Fish, leaping from the icy lake and showing off her sparkling blue spots. She cooperates in donating one dazzling blue dot to Lucy's collection.

And when spring has sprung, Lucy can't help but comment on Bella Bird's breast, decorated by dazzling white speckles. Bella obliges by offering Lucy a sample spot!

LUCY LADYBUG WAS SO HAPPY! FOUR SPOTS!

Proudly Lucy spreads her wings and proudly gets ready to come in for a landing at opening day to show off her big bright beautifully colored spots! But... Wait! All the other ladybugs have black spots. Is she still the odd ladybug out?

But in Sharon King Chai's Lucy Ladybug (Random House, 2016), the author-illustrator saves the best for last, a big, bold and bright four-page gatefold in which Lucy Ladybug proudly proclaims...

BEING DIFFERENT IS ACTUALLY ... A GOOD THING!

In a super-sweet story of the virtue of being unique, Chai manages to work in mini-lessons in color recognition, numbers, and the cycle of the seasons, all within an easy-going little parable that salutes individuality along with the value of getting by with a little help from your friends.

Going Dotty: Not Just a Dot by Loryn Brantz

What's a dot? It's only a spot.

Or so Dot feels.

"I'M JUST A LITTLE HOLE. NOBODY NEEDS ME."

Poor Dot doesn't seem to know what to do with herself.

But then--she gets some salient suggestions.

THIS DALMATIAN LOOKS LIKE HE NEEDS YOU.

A Dalmation is missing just one spot, and then a one-eyed cartoon guy is short of an eye... and who can ask a question without a dot at the bottom of the question mark? And little Dot has got the right stuff to fill those slots!

"I GUESS I AM JUST A LITTLE BIT USEFUL," DOT ADMITS.

Loryn Brantz' Not Just a Dot (Sky Pony Books, 2014) uses her stylized illustrative style to set off her main character, who manages to project a lot of personality with her eyes, not a small feat for a black circle. Dot finds her place in the grand scheme of things, and, as Brantz points out, if you get far enough from Earth, we all are just little dots, a philosophical point of view that gives Dot a different perspective on it all.