Let's Celebrate Being Different

Let's Celebrate Being Different
by Lainey Dee
Todd is different from all the other animals - with the head of a bird, the body and arms of a bear, the legs of a tiger and he feels he doesn't quite fit in anywhere! His family loves him dearly but it's hard for him to make friends. During a visit to his grandmother's, Todd express's his concern and she tells him, “It's okay to be different”.

Instilled with new confidence he sets out for the Friday Club, a place where all the animals gather and socialize with their friends. Will he find the courage to face his fears and embrace his differences?

This is a common theme that comes up with my eldest child and kids at a certain age begin feeling nervous and scared to be around others for fear of being different. Lainey Dee helps children see that it is ok to be different and that we should embrace it. The one part I really love that finishes up the book is when Todd is looking at his button collection and his grandma says, look Todd, every button is different, yet you love them all. And then grandma gives Todd a new button and he says he likes it the most because it is different from the others. I think this is a great way to represent how being different and standing out is a good thing. I really like the realistic feel to it with how some of the other birds still make fun of Todd and the other birds, and then we have some of the birds befriending Todd. In real life, this is how it’s going to be. A lot of kids' books try to make it seem like everything is going to be perfect. So, I really liked that little detail. The illustrations were fun and engaging. My son liked looking at the different birds and especially Todd in his different body.

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