I Don't Care

Two kids start off on opposite sides of a tree, back to back, with arms crossed, declaring that they don't care about a multitude of things...but those aren't the things that matter. They DO care about the important things: "and i care if you smile / and i care if you're sad / and i care if you're worried / and i care if you're mad."

Made by real best friends, and it shines through.

See also: My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano, illus. Jillian Tamaki

Mock Caldecott 2023
Illustration observations: the little pool of color around each friend grows and begins to overlap, making a new color (blue + yellow = green) as they become closer. The pattern on the endpapers matches one girl's boots and the other's dress; the pattern is black and white on show more the front endpaper, green on the back endpaper. show less

This is such a sweet book! The book follows two little kids who start by listing things that they don't care about. Things like I don't care if you think my house is too small, or my feet are too big, or I don't care if you think my lunches smell weird. And the book slowly shifts to the kids saying they don't care about these small things, that don't make up who a person on the inside. They end the story by sharing all the things they do care about that they care if they smile or if they're worried or mad. The illustrations are so sweet and you see the two children in two color bubbles that then intermix as they find they care about the important things.

I love the two illustrators better than the book itself. But it is a sweet text about accepting each other and looking beyond the things that make someone unique. ;)

The oft-heard refrain of I Don't Care is followed by a list of things that make friendship a treasure. I am a big fan of all three creators of this book. This book is just lovely.