ME I AM!

Prelutsky’s poem, which originally appeared in The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983), propels French artist Davenier’s cheerful watercolors. The poem’s quartet of four-line stanzas riffs on the theme of personal uniqueness: “There is no other ME I AM / who thinks the thoughts I do; / the world contains one ME I AM, / there is no room for two.” The poem repeats three times, with Davenier successively supplying three active children whose rooms brim with the trappings of their intense interests. A girl who loves raucous pretend play—abetted by a cape, pirate wear and a goldfish sidekick—leads off. A boy who loves nature and tending its creatures is next, followed by a brown-skinned girly girl who dances before a row of stuffed toys. The artist uses appealing spot illustrations to reveal each child’s disparate imagination at work. On the last few spreads, the trio converges, joining a phalanx of milling children celebrating both the concept, and the giant, yellow-lettered word: “ME!” Slight, but not without its charms. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)