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.

💜 💛  💙  💜  💚  🧡  💜

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

Dropped! (Orca Anchor)

Written by Alice Kuipers

Orca Book Publishers

978-1-4598-3774-4

96 pp.

Ages 12+

RL 1.9

February 2024

 

When Dex is dumped by his girlfriend Lola and then deserted by his friends and his social media after an embarrassingly pathetic display to get her back, he is desperate to regain his popularity. So, he signs up for a reality show called Dropped! on which he and other contestants are dropped on Adventure Island and have five days to attract the greatest number of followers through their feeds if they are to win $250,000 and a trip to Dubai. As he says goodbye to his mother and boards a chopper, he becomes Determined Dex.

 

After being dropped on the island and being told "Don't risk too much," Dex checks the game's feed to meet the other contestants and view photos and live streams of their progress. There's gorgeous Amina whose efforts and story are racking up more followers than anyone else. There's buff identical twins Salvo and Kai, geeky Deepak, and timid Em. Through an app, they are given tasks to complete, like finding a treasure chest of  supplies or sharing their personal stories with their audience. Soon Dex realizes that by associating himself with Amina or engaging in risky or wild activities, he can pull in those much-needed followers. But will he go too far?

Told in chapters according to the date and time, Dex narrates what he does, what he sees, and what he thinks, sometimes in his head and sometimes live in his feed. With each new endeavour or challenge he wonders how he will be seen. Will it be Dangerous Dex or Daring Dex, or will it be Desperate Dex? At one point, he hopes they see him as Decent Dex. But, when he worries that the audience may see him as Deadly Dex, he has a revelation that takes his game from competition to cooperation. Dex may or may not win Dropped! but he still will get more than what he came for.

 

Orca Anchor is just one of the many series from Orca Book Publisher, with this one aimed at young adults reading below Grade 2.0 level. But don't let that detract you from the great story that Alice Kuipers tells. Dropped! may be a fast read but it's a great read for teens and adults, filled with action and social commentary, and embedded in contemporary situations with which many young people will be familiar. Saskatchewan's Alice Kuipers is an accomplished storyteller of YA (e.g., 40 Things I Want to Tell You and The Death of Us), early chapter books (e.g., Polly Diamond and the Magic Book) and even non-fiction (e.g., Always Smile: Carley Allison's Secrets for Laughing, Loving and Living) so it's not surprising that she can write an extraordinary hi-lo story for teens. By merging social media, how many young people derive validation, support, and identity, with reality shows that put teens in unfamiliar circumstances in which their true selves are exposed, Alice Kuipers has let Dex find himself. He struggles with his identity and what he wants to do or who he wants to be, labelling himself constantly and temporarily, as he reflects on his actions and thoughts. But Alice Kuipers has always been very good at seeing teens from their own perspectives, recognizing their challenges and confusion without judging them. Some might see Dex's obsession with his cell phone and with social media as ill-advised, but Alice Kuipers lets us see Dex as flawed by nature of his being human, looking for approval and solidarity as we all do but from virtual communities until he finds it within a real one. He may have been dropped from one community, but he builds a new one or two, both real and virtual, and by recognizing the value of those worlds, and by letting his good sense and self-awareness finally guide him, he'll find himself dropped into much finer ones.