The Reflection in Me

Written by Marc Colagiovanni

Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Orchard Books (Scholastic)

978-1-338-812048-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

March 2024 

 

When you look in the mirror, do you see your hair out of place, or a crooked smile, or a body shape that is too little or too much? Do you see something less than the perfection you want? Are those expectations from others, from social media, from yourself? Wouldn't it be nice to hear the voice inside tell you you're more than enough? What if it was your voice telling you that you are "perfectly perfect"? In The Reflection in Me, it is.

From The Reflection in Me, text by Marc Colagiovanni, art by Peter H. Reynolds

Before our story has even started–the above illustration is from the title page–a child has glanced in a mirror and casts their eyes down, dejected. But surprisingly the reflection in the mirror speaks to the child and tells them, "I like being you."  The child is astonished as the reflection recounts all the wonderful things about the child. From their amazing eyes that "sparkle like stars on the darkest of nights" to their marvelous voice that is as "joyous as a songbird whistling in the trees." 

From The Reflection in Me, text by Marc Colagiovanni, art by Peter H. Reynolds

At first, the child listens in disbelief, finding it difficult to believe these positive statements about themselves. (Their reflection is talking to them after all.) But, with each affirmation by the reflection, who speaks in a lilac font, the child begins to accept the positives about their smile, smartness, bravery and more, and always receives them with humility and delight. 

"I like that you are friendly."

I leaned in closer.

"It's very important to be caring, you know."

"It sure is. You're as gentle as a butterfly."

From The Reflection in Me, text by Marc Colagiovanni, art by Peter H. Reynolds

Like their earlier collaboration, When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left (2023), Marc Colagiovanni and Peter H. Reynolds  have given us a story to empower children. In The Reflection in Me, children will learn to take stock of their positive attributes so that there may be self-acceptance and self-love. Children may not always get the encouragement or love they need to sustain themselves or to help them tackle challenges which they must face. With The Reflection in Me, kids are encouraged to look a little more closely at themselves and see the good stuff, without becoming arrogant or self-important. (For example, a tumble after a twirling dance could have embarrassed the child but they ended up laughing instead.)

Though Marc Colagiovanni is American which should preclude a review of The Reflection in Me on CanLit for LittleCanadians, his collaboration with Peter H. Reynolds gives him the favour of inclusion here. His words are impactful but spoken and heard by a child who needs to hear them. There is no pretense or preaching. There is only hope that all children will see the best in themselves.

 

 May you always see yourself as you truly are... perfectly perfect.

 

From The Reflection in Me, text by Marc Colagiovanni, art by Peter H. Reynolds

Peter H. Reynolds is all about the light and goodness that children have and can find in themselves. His collection of books, which include his recent All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow! and Say Something!, are gentle reminders that children can be and do good. Peter H. Reynolds puts it all their hands, showing them what they can do. And he does it with brightness and colour. The Reflection in Me is similarly vibrant in colour but Peter H. Reynolds keeps the art simple so as not detract from the focus on self-acceptance (and not finding acceptance from the approval of others). It's a child and a mirror, and that's it. He doesn't need anything else. The expressions on the child and their reflection say it all. With just a subtle shifting of a line for a brow or a smile, or the reach of an arm, Peter H. Reynolds gives us delight and spirit and connection. It invites us to enjoy their repartee and be charmed with the self-learning that happens.

Self-acceptance may come from within but a little reinforcement from The Reflection in Me will certainly not hurt. With its perfect tone of support and brightness of art, The Reflection in Me will charm and inspire and hopefully empower children to find the best affirmations are inside themselves.

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This short film, from 2017, upon which The Reflection in Me is based, is available at the channel of FableVision Studio (founded by Peter H. Reynolds) on YouTube.

 

Posted by FableVision on June 16, 2017 on YouTube

When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left

Art by Peter H. Reynolds

Words by Marc Colagiovanni

Orchard Books

978-1-338-83118-4

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

March 2023

 

Of course, things don't always go right. That's life. But how we handle it when things don't go right makes for a good story when we get back on track.

From When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds

In Rhode Island's Marc Colagiovanni's debut picture book, a child is burdened by a box of worries, a sack of doubts, a suitcase of fears and a knapsack of frustrations. He wants to try something that has frustrated him, worried him, scared him, and made him doubt himself. It's a pool with a diving board.

From When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds

He'd attempted a dive once and had been unsuccessful, and now considers another attempt. Ah, but there are those doubts and those fears and more. Worse yet, as he attempts to leave them behind, one encumbrance at a time, the annoying creatures shout back at him. Can he make them manageable or leave them behind to take control?

From When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds

The message that it's okay to put down your burdens is an important one for all of us who sometimes feel we need to power through everything and anything. Marc Colagiovanni obviously knows this and, by using an example of a child attempting something that both scares and frustrates him, he reminds us that not everything is going to go right or be easy. It could be trying a formidable dive or making a new friend or overlooking those pesky demons that cause us stress and worry. We all have them, and we all need to find coping strategies to get beyond them. The message is meaningful, but the medium is everything.

From When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds

The artwork from Peter H. Reynolds takes When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left from social emotional advice to a visualization for coping. Though some may see a child attempting a dive as trivial, to that child those burdens of worry and fear are great. They are heavy loads of disquiet and cannot be diminished because others might seem them as negligible. Peter H. Reynolds makes us feel the weight of those burdens in the child's face and body language and, most clearly, in the palette of the art. From the grey blues and purples of the child's troubled steps, through the times of lighter oranges and pinks, until his world is bright and sunny yellow, this child feels everything, and so do we. 

Peter H. Reynolds's books are always a treat of messaging and graphics, and his collaboration with Marc Colagiovanni reminds us again that we have the capacity to make things better for ourselves while inspiring all of us to do our best.

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When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni and Peter H. Reynolds | BOOK TRAILER

Uploaded by Scholastic to YouTube on February 222, 2023.