I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem (Hardcover)

by Jamie Lee Curtis (Author), Laura Cornell (Illustrator) "I'm gonna like me when I jump out of bed, from my giant big toe to the braids on my head..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis and winsome illustrator Laura Cornell continue their successful collaboration (Today I Feel Silly, When I Was Little, et al.) with this paean to poise and self-assurance, I'm Gonna Like Me.

The duo sets out to "let off a little self-esteem" by following a seriously self-actualized (and gratifyingly quirky) boy and girl throughout their day on alternating pages. The kids take turns carrying the lines, often switching off midsentence, to describe exactly how and why "I'm gonna like me." (Girl: "I'm gonna like me / when I'm called on to stand. / I know all my letters / like the back of my hand." Boy: "I'm gonna like me / when my answer is wrong, / like thinking my ruler / was ten inches long.") The call and response continues through the action-packed day, as the kids get up, go to school, have lunch, go to a birthday party, etc., until they finally get tucked in--so no opportunity for building self-esteem gets overlooked.

Young readers will like Curtis's words and the rhythmic repetition, but it's Cornell's scribbling, reminiscent of the New Yorker's Roz Chast, that makes the book stand out. From an imagined fashion-show runway walk (love that snooty fashion press) to a hilarious lunch table spread (got to get some of that "Cup o' Lettuce" and "Pork by the Foot" for your Doris Day lunch box), Cornell fills the book with funny faces and lots of laughs (the best of which might be the girl's pet turtle working out in a cage with a treadmill, next to a book titled "Exercising Your Illegal Turtle"). (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

From Publishers Weekly
The dynamic duo behind Today I Feel Silly returns for another lively, emotionally reassuring picture book. This time out, Curtis looks to the source of what makes children (of all ages) feel comfortable in their own skin. Cornell pictures the perky rhymes being delivered by a pair of young protagonists confident enough to shake off embarrassment and to feel proud (though not overly so) of personal achievements. "I'm gonna like me when I'm called on to stand. I know all my letters like the back of my hand," announces a girl dressed in plaid, flowers and a cape. "I'm gonna like me when my answer is wrong, like thinking my ruler was ten inches long," says the boy as both youngsters stand before the school blackboard. Ultimately, the author concludes "I'm gonna like me 'cause I'm loved and I know it,and liking myself is the best way to show it." Though the message is both catchy and effective in its delivery, it's Cornell's humorous, detailed, ink-and-watercolor illustrations that give this volume true pizzazz. She hits just the right note of fear-tinged bravura with the characters' vividly imagined antics. Their portraits, embellished with all manner of costumes and fun accessories (a fire-extinguisher-like toothpaste tube, an Esther Williams lunchbox, a "Dalmatian Kit" for polka-dotting pets), will delight the audience. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (September 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060287616
• ISBN-13: 978-0060287610
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #70,687 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten star book for all ages......, November 30, 2002

By	MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

It is rare that a book comes along that all children will love. I say love all children because we have wee ones who are hearing or sight impaired and its nice to see a book that these children as well as able bodied children can enjoy. For the hearing impaired child the illustration will bring the book to life. While the sight impaired child will find the words "illustrate" the book.

And for the rest of us the combination is a sure winner. And its not a sappy feel good self esteem book but more along the lines of we are all human and fall down, and feel we don't fit in at times, but it is in keeping trying that is what make life work. And its a book that will appeal to boys and girls, males and females. And lest you think it is only for wee ones, its also a good book for teens, college kids, those going thru lifes many passages. Or for someone who is going thru a rough period in their lives.

As a rule I avoid celebrity books like the plague, but Ms Curtis is a true talent.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Joyous Guide to Happiness....., October 7, 2002

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Dynamic duo, Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell are back with their fun-filled and entertaining guide to "letting off a little self-esteem." Follow a boy and girl through their day, from the time they open their eyes in the morning, to the moment they close them again at bedtime. They like themselves, through the good and the bad..."I'm gonna like me/when I open the box/and smile and say "Thanks"/even though I got socks", the right and the wrong..."I'm gonna like me/when my answer is wrong,/like thinking my ruler/was ten inches long", when they rise to the occassion..." I'm gonna like me/when I clean in a flash/and play with my brother/and take out the trash", or when trying something new..."I'm gonna like me/when I eat something new/even if Grandma makes/octopus stew." Ms Curtis' joyous, rhyming text is filled with energy, and just begs to be shared and read aloud. But it's Ms Cornell's bold, bright, and busy illustrations that make this picture book really standout, and children will revel in all the witty detail as they explore each dazzling, two-page spread. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, I'm Gonna Like Me is a captivating, feel good, little gem that tells kids not to be shy about it, but to celebrate their special selves in everything they do. "I'm gonna like me/cause I'm loved and I know it,/and liking myself/is the best way to show it."

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem, September 14, 2005

By	Pamela B. Clair "Pam Burns-Clair" (Sonoma, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a psychotherapist specializing in children, this is a lovely fun book for reinforcing self esteem and helping us accept our foibles.