This picture book starts off as a play group of school-age kids meet up and have a picnic. The group is made up of children who are suppose to represent different races, ethnicities, and abilities. The star of the book is a young girl who brings her Japanese kite shaped like a fish. The fish is animated, so its facial expressions change with the mood of the story. Drama occurs when it gets caught in a cluster of trees. The text of the story has rhyming lines describing the differences and similarities of people in general, and illustrated by the interactions of the kids. The bright images invite the eye to look closer for details. The ending is a little unexpected, so this is a delight, too. The book begins and ends with scripture and a section with questions can be used in churches, homes, and Christian schools.

Thank you to Our Daily Bread and NetGalley for the digital galley. My reviews and opinions are my own.

This book is beautiful and so important! The illustrations are beautifully done; they are bright and colorful and engaging for children. And the message is one we adults need to share with our children! It celebrates diversity while showing how we can all relate to other people. I loved this book and am planning on getting a hard copy of it when it releases so I can share it with my children over and over again.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This picture book celebrates differences in children that make them unique and special. The bible scriptures at the the beginning and at the end of the story centers God's handiwork in creating human beings in his image and likeness. The illustrations feature ethnically diverse and differently-abled children who find joy in playtime and interactions with each other at the park. They learn from their mistakes and express gratitude to God for life and living each day to the fullest. The rhythmic lines and catchy phrases create an interplay of language that grabs young readers' attention. This picture book makes a great addition to households and churches. It teaches value in self-acceptance, grace, joy, and love among children.

This book is so damn beautiful and very much needed.
It's always better to talk about the issues of race, different people we are going to come across right during the formative years so kids understand what is being meant by we are all human beings and no one race or community shouldn't get mistreated (as kids learn from what they see and observe).

We adults are at a loss for words when it comes to such topics on how to explain in a way that they understand.
This book does justice to this.

The illustration is like a perfect dream.

Everything is perfect!

I need this one as a physical copy when it comes out.

The thing to think is it is difficult to change ourselves as adults when we are brought up in a segregated environment. So why not start from here with such books to change all that?

Thank you NetGalley for this beautiful ARC.

Good idea message-wise for the Christian community. Wouldn't use it in my classroom.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like the message of this book but wish it had a more immediately positive framing. The first half of the book is about differences and doesn't address that differences aren't good or bad. Books like Same, Same, but Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw point out differences but immediately explain how differences aren't a bad thing. Children's need see the correlation that we are different but that's okay more quickly to make the association. I love that this is a Hispanic author and a book that shows diverse characters.

Such a beautiful book releasing at the right time! Celebrating our differences yet pointing out how we are similar. The rhyming text along with the beautiful illustrations keeps young ears engaged. This would be a wonderful gift for any young child in your life.

I received an electronic ARC from Our Daily Bread Publishing through NetGalley.

Such a cute book! The story follows the narrator as they point out the differences they have with other children. The soon realize that maybe they aren't so different at all. I love the illustrations. They are bright and colorful. The illustrations show quite a diverse group of children (disabilities, different hair, different ethnicity) which is so important. The book does have religious references so it would be best for at home readings or church groups. In the back of the book there are questions/discussion guides to use with your child. This is definitely a book I would consider adding to my daughters library.

A copy of this book was made available to me through netgalley. These opinions are my honest review.

loved the whole book. It was great, it showed how every kid is different and yet they are all the same. We may look different, act differently, have a disability but we are all the same, we feel the same way, happy, sad, angry, grumpy, joy.

Book Review—Different Like Me

We’re ALL different. That’s the message of this new picture book.
We’re ALL alike. That’s the message of this new picture book too.

Different Like Me
written by Xochitl Dixon, illustrated by Bonnie Lui
published by Our Daily Bread for Kids (August 2020)
hardcover picture book, 32 pages, 9 x 9 inches

Cultural diversity, check. Physical disabilities, check. Communication differences, check.
But the kids in Different Like Me are also very much alike.

I love for children from different ethnic backgrounds to be able to see themselves in picture books. The bright, exuberant illustrations in this book do that and pair well with the whimsical text.

An opening refrain about differences changes as the diverse group of children works together to wrangle a huge fish balloon to its surprising—and perfect—destination:

“I look all around me, and what do I see?
So many kids, not so different from me.”

It’s what’s inside, our feelings, that make us more alike than different.

And as the book ends, the refrain changes again:

“I look all around me, and what do I see?
God made every kid different …
and special, like me!”

Because there’s more that unites us. We’re all made by God, in His image.

Scriptures from Genesis 1 and Psalm 139 open and close the book, like treasured bookends, to make this point.

The book’s dedication includes “anyone who’s ever felt weird, out of place, or misunderstood.” That’s just about everyone! Different Like Me helps children appreciate everyone’s differences and assures them that we all have a special place in the world.

This was a sweet, beautifully-written and -illustrated poem about how we are all different, but that God made us all special and—in many ways—the same.

The poem weaves in and out of illustrations of children who have all kinds of differences, but who work together and help each other. I find the book incredibly timely and relatable, and helps children understand why we are all valuable from a Christian perspective.

This is a lovely picture book with an important message that is simply and sweetly written. The illustrations are very appealing. The book is intended to appeal to children and is not heavy-handed in its messaging, which is much appreciated in the realm of children's books! Thank you for an advanced copy in exchanage for review.

This is a children's book I will definitely be purchasing to share with my future children one day. It explores how we all have differences but we are also very similar. It has children of all different walks of life throughout the book along with a bunch of different animal balloons and I thought it was a really good and created way to start conversations with children and a really good book to have.

This is the prefect book for what is going on in the world right now. Even without all the turmoil, it's perfect. I love the colors, the simplicity, the inclusivity.

A adorable book about embracing the differences in all of us and appreciating everyone. A very cute book for kids! The art style was so cute and charming. This book has a great message and I would highly recommend it for all kids!

Thank you NetGalley and Our Daily Bread Publishing for gifting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has an amazing message for children and it’s done very well. The illustrations are so sweet, and I love the inclusion of different races and disabilities in them. The story itself is simple, yet really drives home the message of how even though we may look different on the outside, we still feel the same things on the inside and we’re actually similar in many ways. It’s a very cute story that reminds us that we’re all special.

A wonderful story of how God made all of us different, and how He made all of us special! A beautiful message of inclusivity with a religious aspect. This book will be perfect for me to share with my preschoolers as I am especially looking for books dealing with inclusivity for this year's curriculum.

The illustrations are beautiful, and I've always enjoyed picture books that are in rhyming verse!

I received an advance copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this book! Beautiful to look at AND to read. Especially loved the suggested discussion questions at the back to facilitate necessary conversations!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

It's a children's picture book with little text in verse teaching kids to see that there are different kids, skin color, body shape, disabilities, etc but we are all the same, we are human.
This is a perfect book to teach your child to respect people, especially, different ones, and to treat them with kindness and, when possibly, work in team.

The illustrations are so beautiful and stunning. I recommend this.

This is the cutest rhyming picture book about how everyone is made in God's image no matter your looks, abilities, culture, or preferences. It also highlights how we all have emotions and experiences that can tie us all together. The book depicts a range of children and is such a sweet and beautifully illustrated story. From the range of children to the large and colorful kites, the illustrations make you want to spend longer on each page soaking it all in. The last page of the book is a note to parents and teachers to help guide discussions to help kids appreciate and celebrate the beauty of diversity.