Summer Book Review - The Beautiful Layers of Me

I have another book to share with you today from Candlewick Press - The Beautiful Layers of Me by Sophia Payne and illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane. The story and illustrations in this book are both beautiful and combine to teach an important lesson.

Favorite Features -

• As I just wrote, the illustrations are beautiful - full of color and details!
• The story is so needed - Ameena (the little girl in the story) learns to love herself, her culture, and her traditions.

Candlewick Press says, "A young girl gains the confidence to participate in her family’s tradition—and be fully herself—in a vibrant ode to difference and love from a new voice in picture books.

Ameena can’t wait for her auntie’s Nikah. She’s never been to a wedding, and today there is one in her own garden! After putting on the salwar kameez which Babu gave her, with its soft layers of floaty fabric, she feels like a princess, skipping down the garden path. “Oh wow!” comes a friendly voice over the fence. “I wish I had pajamas like that!” Suddenly Ameena, her cheeks hot, starts to wonder: should she wear something else? In a gentle text capturing all the nuances of a first cultural experience, Sophia Payne follows a child’s passage from self-doubt to worry to pride, while Ruchi Mhasane’s expressive illustrations render the wedding garb in glowing colors and patterns which will have young readers wanting to join in the celebration."

I love everything about this book. The illustrations are so wonderful - filled with color and detail and the story encourages all of us to have confidence in ourselves and to embrace our culture and traditions. I would have liked help on how to pronounce some of the words in this story, but otherwise, this is a great book and sure to become a favorite!