Different Like Me Paperback – 1 Oct. 2020

With it being a holiday weekend and one usually spent with family while enjoying the last days of summer, reviewing a children’s picture book seemed like the perfect book review post for today. Different Like Me is written by Xochitl Dixon and illustrated by Bonnie Lui.The title of Different Like Me fits the message of this book. As children, it’s easy to feel different, whether due to the color of our skin, the activities we enjoy, or the disability with which we struggle. On the other hand, children have an innocent way about them that welcomes everyone into their circle. So it is with this book. A group of children who seem very different from one another work together to bring a fish balloon from one page to the next.When my toddler first saw Different Like Me, he immediately opened the cover and pointed to the pictures. The illustrations are vivid and bright, drawing in young readers. They also show the differences in the children. For example, there is a child with glasses, children with varying skin color, and a child with a service dog. Fun note about the service dog: the author’s service dog, Callie, is the inspiration behind the drawing!I also love how the book talks about the emotions children face. Happy and sad and grumpy and scared. Big, important emotions that children feel, but need adults to help them label. Especially when facing feeling different than others around them. In the end, the children in the book learn that differences are good because God made each child to be unique and special.If you have a young child, I would encourage you to pick up a copy of Different Like Me. It’s a message I love and one I hope my young children will take to heart. A book like this is a wonderful way to begin instilling an appreciation for the differences we see in each other and combating the prejudices that still plague our world today.---I purchased a copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Different Like Me is a timely reminder of God’s beauty in each of us, as He links us together in the journey of life. On the outside, we may look different, but on the inside, we experience the same feelings of worry, hurry and fear. It’s reassuring to know we’re not so different, after all, because differences separate us, but likenesses unify us.Xochitl Dixon created a helpful conversation tool with Different Like Me. From the back cover, “You’re different from everyone else. And sometimes that leaves you feeling like a fish out of water. You might feel like you don’t belong. But you’re wonderfully created by God – and so is everyone else! Join a diverse group of children working together to get their giant balloon to a surprise destination. Enjoy their journey, watch their progress, and celebrate their arrival as even a ‘fish out of water’ finds belonging.”Xochitl (soh-cheel) Dixon writes through daily struggles with chronic pain, showing compassion for those who suffer. She is a regular contributor to the Our Daily Bread devotional and the author of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace. Through blogging, Xochitl shares her journey and yearning to nurture spiritual growth through prayer and the study and application of Scripture.The author also provides a page for parents, adding discussion questions to think about in standing down bullying and embracing diversity. She offers gracious perspective and speaks in winsome ways to cultivate conversation.Different Like Me is a celebration of life in fun-to-read rhyme. Get a copy to share with your family, and enjoy the beautiful pages created by artist Bonnie Lui. Xochitl’s service dog, Callie, even makes a debut!

There are so many positive things to like about the book Different Like Me. Written in a flowing, rhyming way, this book is easy for children of all ages to understand and enjoy as they read about a group of children who are each different in their own unique way. The content creates an extraordinary adventure for a group of unlike children who work together to attain a common goal while creating a bond between them as they begin to understand their differences and commonalities. Our world truly would be a better place if all families, schools and libraries contained several copies of Different Like Me for parents, teachers and students to read. The beautiful illustrations attract and captivate the readers as well. A bonus at the end is discussion questions for parents, teachers and all adults who discuss this beautiful book with their children. I highly recommend this book, Different Like Me, backed by 50 years as an Educator of all aged children.

I purchased this book for my granddaughter, but I read it before I send it to her. Even though I am an adult, I, too, was deeply blessed by the beautiful illustration and the message of acceptance, hope, kindness, and God’s love for us. I cannot emphasize how timely and appropriate these messages are, in the diverse and challenging world we live in. This book will be an excellent way to teach our children how to embrace uniqueness in ourselves and others so that our difference is not a source of conflict and division but a source of mutual appreciation, strength, and harmony. The last page of the book includes a message to parent/teacher, with helpful talking points to engage children in an important dialogue, which helps them discover their purpose as God’s masterpieces. It is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it to people of all ages, especially children!

Kids need to know that they can celebrate their unique differences without letting them get in the way of enjoying their common humanity. This book does a great job with this message, and shows kids that it's okay if someone else looks or talks differently than they do.The illustrations are adorable and classic, very approachable for young readers or pre-readers. The rhyming story reads easily and is well-suited to adults or older children reading to little ones. All around classic book. I wish it had been around when my kids were of the age to ask for stories to be repeated at every bedtime. This would have been a family favorite!