All By Myself!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday. Here’s my selection:
All By Myself!
Written and Illustrated by Émile Jadoul
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2012
Fiction
Suitable for: Ages 2 and up
Topics/Themes: Independence, Potty Training, Trying things on your own
Opening Line: Every night, it’s the same. (How’s that for a line that makes you want to turn the page!)
Synopsis from Amazon: Sometimes Leon wakes up in the middle of the night because he has to go potty. “Mommy!!” he cries, and Mommy Penguin rushes to help him. “Daddy!!” he calls, and Daddy Penguin comes to his aid. But when Leon discovers that grown-ups use the bathroom all by themselves, he decides that he can too — all by himself!
Link to Resources: We often talk about being big as we navigate potty training and growing up in our house. This story gives children an example of something they can try on their own without Mommy or Daddy’s help. Parents can talk about how Leon decides to do something on his own. Ask your child what he or she would like to do independently. This blog post talks about how children in Costa Rica learn some independence. This Parents.com article talks about Flying Solo: Raise an Independent Kid.
Why I like this book: Enzo saw this on the library shelf and declared: “This is my favorite book.” He liked the penguins. I loved the subject matter. The illustrations are simple and lovely. The Mommy and Daddy penguins are perfect in their tired state. Little Leon with his teddy bear is precious.
A child’s effort to be a “big boy” or “big girl” is nothing new, but this book offers a cute twist to the topic. When I searched for this book, I found two older books with the same title.
For more PPBF selections, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.