Jamie Lee Curtis

This book is all about those crazy questions that only a child can come up with...but that are plaintive and need a response...in this book we see the wild imaginings of a child and all of his fears and dreams of what it means to be in the human race! What can I say but WOW...there is a lot going on in this book and the question is silly, yet serious...just the kind of question a kid would ask and the message itself (as written by Curtis) is priceless! I'm constantly trying to encourage show more without making things into a competition...stressing that just trying one's hardest/best is what counts, that life is really more about the journey not the destination. The illustrations and the rhyming poems are of the same quality as the other books I've read by Curtis and Cornell...and I think that's part of what makes this book work so well...the illustrations are a chaotic symphony...so much to see, so many little details for young minds to love and the play between what the words mean literally and what they mean figuratively is absolutely perfect for pulling in both children and adults! This is really a wonderful book for all ages and as with others by this author, its best as a read aloud...the larger the group the more interesting the story telling discussion afterwards...and believe me, there will be plenty!! Simply a spectacular way to introduce some complex ideas to younger readers! I'll definitely be adding this to my permanent collection! A+!! show less

Author Jamie Lee Curtis offers a celebration of words in this rhyming picture-book, which also functions as a confidence booster for young children. "I know some Big Words. / I'll teach them to you. / Although you are small, / you can use Big Words too." So begins the rollicking text, which introduces concepts ranging from "stupendous" to "inappropriate." In the end, however, the biggest words of all - Family, Respect and Love - aren't necessarily the longest...

Big Words for Little People is show more the second picture-book I have read from celebrity author Jamie Lee Curtis and illustrator Laura Cornell - the first was I'm Gonna Like Me - and of the two, it is definitely the one I prefer. Although there were a few awkward moments, where I felt the word order of specific sentences was juggled, in order to shoehorn in a rhyme, overall I thought the text scanned well. I also appreciated the fact that the message of affirmation here wasn't quite as blatant as in that earlier title. The illustrations are colorful and full of energy, with lots of amusing little details - the little bits of writing on books and other objects in the paintings - that add to the fun. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books that build vocabulary. Perhaps to be paired with one of the Fancy Nancy books, which also work to introduce children to a wider lexicon...? show less

This book is all about what you would pack in your suitcase if you were an immigrant. It’s about the things one leaves behind and what one brings to say hi New World this is me. This is lovingly done. It’s not really about immigration; it’s more about introducing yourself to a new people in new society and what does that well. And while this book is lovely, it rhymes, it has cadence, it does what it does well. I wish the author had gone further.

"I'm gonna like me / when I jump out of bed, / from my giant big toe / to the braids on my head." So begins the sing-songy narrative of this affirmational picture-book from celebrity author Jamie Lee Curtis, which encourages the child reader to like him or herself, even when (inevitably) mistakes are made. The rollicking rhymes, in which a boy and girl alternate sharing how they like themselves, are paired with bright artwork from illustrator Laura Cornell, who has worked on a number of show more other picture-books with Curtis.

I was of two minds, when it came to reacting to I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem. I'm always a little leery of celebrity-authored children's books, as I often feel that their publication owes far more to the fame of the author, than to any merit in the story. I'm also wary of the seemingly inescapable self-esteem narrative that one sees everywhere, in books for the young, as I feel it often prioritizes feeling over reason and ethics. All that said, although I was largely indifferent to both text and artwork here, I can't say there was anything particularly wrong with them. The rhyming text reads well enough, and the colorful artwork is energetic and attention-grabbing - both factors that contribute to the making of a good story-time selection. The message is anodyne - not quite as narcissistic feeling as some others (I'm looking at you, I Like Myself!), but not particularly powerful or inspiring either. A happy book - which is perfectly fine, even if it didn't make me especially happy.

In short: tastes vary (as do views on the matter of inculcating self esteem!), so if you're in the market for upbeat self affirmation, this might be the one for you... show less