Why Am I Different? [Paperback]

Norma Simon (Author), Dora Leder (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993 | Grade Level: K and up

Portrays everyday situations in which children see themselves as "different" in family life, preferences, and aptitudes, and yet, feel that being different is all right.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The text is useful for suggesting the many kinds of differences that exist."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A book in the publisher's Concept series, this is intended to help the very young develop a realistic self-image."

Publishers Weekly

From the Inside Flap

Portrays everyday situations in which children see themselves as "different" in family life, preferences, and aptitudes, and yet, feel that being different is all right.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807590762
• ISBN-13: 978-0807590768
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #347,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our "differences" make us all unique and special!, March 25, 2000

By 

Dari B. Wayne (Lawrenceville, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Am I Different? (Paperback)

A gently written and beautifully illustrated book on what makes us all different and uniquely ourselves. Pre-schoolers as well as elementary age children will want to read this one over and over again. (I raised my two sons with this book and it continued to be one of their favorites). Dora Leder's pencil illustrations are almost "photo" perfect and capture the snapshots of activities and differences that author, Norma Simon so quietly describes. "Why Am I Different" (no matter how many times I read it with my children) always invoked dialogue and opportunities for discussions on understanding the many differences that make people so unique. This is a gem of a book and I am delighted to see it is still so ready available.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent for starting a discussion, December 5, 2004

By 

Just Me (here and there across the USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Am I Different? (Paperback)

This book demonstrates a wide variety of ways in which people are different by having a different child on each page who tells about one things that is different about themselves. The types of differences vary from hair color, size, age, likes, grandparents, house,language, adoption, and more. It doesn't seem preachy at all to me. It just presents a variety of ways in which people are different, and most show contentment with being who they are. Some express the negative feelings that can come from not being "one of the crowd", as well.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poor choice of words, March 24, 2010

By 

E. Jackson (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Am I Different? (Paperback)

I was really excited about this book b/c of the diversity of kids on the cover and the topic in general. However I should have definitely read it myself before presenting it to my daughter. Although she did not complain - as I read the book, the word "different" was repeated way too many times. I started to get the feeling that I was pointing out to her that she was in some way so different from everyone else. I felt like the book lost it's purpose in that it made differences seem so prominent instead of portraying that we are all the same but unique in our own ways. Looking again, I realize that this was first written in 1976... I guess the way we look at diversity has changed... poor book choice in my opinion... not what I was looking for.