I'm the Best

I'm the Best. Lucy Cousins. 2010. May 2010. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.

Hello.
I'm dog, and I'm the best.
These are my friends--Ladybug, Mole, Goose, and Donkey.
I love them. They're great, but I'm the best.

I liked this one. I think I liked this one better than any of the Maisy books I've read. (For one thing, it actually has a plot.) What is it about? It's about a dog who knows he's the best--the very, very best--at everything. He's definitely better than his friends. But. Is this dog really the best? Do his friends benefit from his bragging, his boasting? Of course not! They may just team up to give him a dose of his own medicine...

While I'm Number One by Michael Rosen dealt with bullying and bossiness, I'm the Best dealt with bragging and boasting. Both are similar in one way, both books show that it isn't easy to be friends with a difficult person. But Dog was definitely more lovable than A-One.


I liked this one. I thought it was fun and playful. It does have a message (in a way), but it was handled in a funny way, a natural way. And that can make a big difference.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

I'm A Pig

I'm A Pig. Sarah Weeks. Illustrated by Holly Berry. 2005. HarperCollins. 32 pages.

I'm a pig, I'm a pig,
and I don't give a fig
if you call me a pig,
'cause that's what I am.
I'm a pig, I'm a pig...

Our little pig is so so happy to be what she is, a pig. It's a celebratory picture book about being yourself, about loving life. It's a cute book. A bit silly perhaps. But fun. I'm not completely sure the rhymes always work, or that the rhythm always work, but for the most part I think it does. I just love the illustrations!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers