(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don't Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently.
With stark illustrations that perfectly capture the tone of the book, I Like, I Don't Like will inspire meaningful discussions about privilege and poverty.

Usually when I review children's picture books, I usually say just how important illustrations are for telling the story - and never has that been truer than this book...

The message from this book is that some kids enjoy every day things (picking flowers, playing with bricks, playing dress-ups) while others are forced to do these things for work due to child labor and poverty. Some of the images are heartbreaking - but definitely do they job they were intended to do. Add to that the simplistic, repetitive nature of the text, this book is sure to be a conversation-starter for social-conscious parents and their kids.


Paul
ARH

I Like, I Don't Like contains striking reality and demonstrates perceptions here in the US versus the reality of child labor elsewhere in the world.
The author/s and illustrations provide a wonderful comparison and graphic demonstration of the difference in the reality of a child in most of the U.S. and that of children in some of the poorest third-world nations.
A child with lots of shoes and who plays with shoes in dressup would have a much different perception than a child who must clean shoes or manufacture shoes to survive. The message is very important. I'm not sure that the young child is the proper audience for this message. The circumstances considered normal in the U.S. are very different from those considered normal elsewhere.
The message is important. I believe that the target audience should be ages 10 and above. As I child, I was taught to give to those less fortunate in 'missions' but I had no real understanding of the life of those children.
I sincerely appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for the reading recommendation and the review copy!

This was very eye-opening and definitely gave me a new perspective. However, I didn't really like the art that much. It was overall still a good read.

I Like, I Don't Like is one of the more sobering children's books I've ever seen. Author Anna Baccellierre contrasts Western kids' preferences with the reality of child labor around the world. You like to eat rice? He doesn't like working in the rice paddy. You like trying on your mom's many shoes? She doesn't like working at a shoe shine stand. You like listening to music? He doesn't like having to play music for tips to support his family. And the starkest contrast of all: You like playing. He asks, "What is playing?"

I really love Ale + Ale's collage-like illustrations. (This is the artistic team of Alessandro Lecis and Alessandra Panzeri.) They find the perfect balance between the playfulness of some kids and the life of labor of others.

It's never too early for Western kids to get some perspective on their place in the world. In the U.S., a kid is considered poor if his mom buys his clothes at the second-hand store. (I know, that's a gross over-simplification, but still. . . .) If your child has a roof over his head, goes to school every day, and only works so he can have a little cash for video games or to go out with friends, he needs to know that some kids have to work to support their families. I Like, I Don't Like is a great start to introduce young children to the concept of child labor and the privilege of growing up in relative wealth.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I like the idea and the message. But this illustration book is not for any child. Children can feel guilt, and not be grateful for what they have. It is not their fault that adults are abusing children with labor.
So, in my opinion this book is a little too much for children.

This is an excellent book. It attempts, through pictures, to show child labor here and across the world. For example the child on the left likes bricks. Building bricks to let their imaginations soar. But for the child on the right who spends his day carrying bricks, they are heavy back breaking work. Trying to show a child that there are some places where children do not get play can be a hard concept to grasp. But this book does a fantastic job of illustrating this concept. It's simple, it's true, and it's needed.

Added Goodreads
Added Litsy

A simple primer on children’s rights, showing how one kid in some part of the world likes bricks—Lego style—or shoes, while somewhere else children the same age have to work with those same objects. At the end it really hits home when one of the kids asks, “What is play?”
The drawings are done well enough, though with real faces photoshopped in; some of these did not work. Done in a simple style so little kids can understand it.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

"I Like, I Don't Like" is a book that teaches children about inequality and it's handled very well. It ranges from topics including child labor laws to poverty. It has a good easy layout that will makes it easy for young children to understand. It has simple phrases that are repeated and accompanied by the relevant illustrations that show exactly what is meant and the differences some children face. This is a tough subject and an important topic that is covered very well for a children's book.