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"Looking Like Me" by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. Looking Like Me. (Ill. by Christopher Myers.) Egmont, 2009

     Father Walter and son Christopher have collaborated previously (i.e.: Harlem: A Poem, named a Caldecott Honor).  Once again the outcome has been a distinguished book.  In a large scale format of individual pictures and text (10” square) the images and the words dance on the page.  The collage art in high intensity color and bold simplified shapes accompany words printed in a sansaraf capital letter font that gives the impression of stamping.  The high gloss paper energizes the art. 

     The unnamed young narrator speaks in catchy rhymed couplets interspersed with a repeated refrain “I gave it a bam!” The narrator’s affirmative exploration leads to discovery that he is many things: a boy, a brother, a son, a writer, a city child,an artist, a dancer, and others.  One description, “I know that I’m a talker…” suggest that this would be most effectively presented orally either by a single presenter or by assigning parts to child readers.  Can we anticipate further top quality picture books from Egmont in addition to the well crafted middle grade fiction, which predominates on the list at this point?  Let’s hope so!

John Stewig

Carthage College

Center for Children’s Literature

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