Cover Image: Can You See Me?

Can You See Me?

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Member Reviews

In the book Can You See Me? we learn that size is just a matter of perspective.
I very much enjoyed reading this book with my 6 year old and we both loved the whimsical, colorful illustrations.
The text, while it mostly makes for a good read-aloud, did get a little confusing in some parts. I had to go back and re-read a couple of passages to make sure I understood the comparison being made, and I am sure my 6 year old was confused as well at our first run through. My guess is that some of it's logic, or finesse got lost in translation, as I believe it was originally published in Turkish.
That stuff happens, so it wouldn't surprise me. But whether or not the translation was at fault, a little bit of editing should have remedied that issue quickly.
Overall a good, enjoyable read, that works well in the context of a school lesson plan.

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With mixed media type illustrations, this book explains that size is all relative. It's your power and possibility that are important, not your outward appearance. After all, "we live in a big world with many small worlds in it." You just have to inhabit your world.

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Gökçe İrten’s Can You See Me? is a sweet book about perspective. Size is relative, and viewing others is all about perspective. The illustrations have a mixed media feel of soft watercolor collages and line drawings, making the book appear whimsical. There are limited facts in the book, as the book is not meant to impart a lot of factual knowledge but to get the reader (or listener as the case may be) thinking about different viewpoints. Overall, it’s a cute book worth checking out from the library.

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A picture book for kids about big and small and how it's all relative in the scheme of things.

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A really good concept and lesson about perspective for young kids - I do wish the illustrations and story had been a bit brighter, happier and more engaging though. I thought the best comparisons were the water and the ladybug, the elephant footprint and the sightseeing insects.

This book could definitely inspire a lot of discussion within the classroom.

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I really like this book in theory... The relativity of size is a concept that many young children are exploring, and some struggle to understand. But it just didn't hook my preschoolers in the way that I had hoped. I think the illustrations could have been more connected to the text in places to visually demonstrate the way that size changes. And some of the comparisons I think are a bit challenging. However, your audience may find differently.

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It’s all about perspective in Can You See Me? Thank you to Kids Can Press for the e-galley via NetGalley. Gökçe Irten explores the question of the ways in which the world can be viewed. It’s all truly perspective and relative to the comparisons in one’s world. There’s a fun look at the living things that we humans may consider tiny - and their incredible skills that can be put into perspective when compared to humans. An example being that a flea can jump 100 times its own height, which would be like a person jumping to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Incredible, right? In that perspective, readers are able to think in a more open-minded way, especially when viewing the world and considering the different perspectives that exist upon it. Definitely a picture book that will inspire wonders and engage the reader’s curiosity about the world they live in.

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Can You See Me? Is a book about perspectives. It asks the question, do you sometimes feel small? And then goes on to examine the world with different perspectives. It looks at how big things look small from far away, or how small things can be decieving in their importance, like how an ant can be deceivingly strong. I loved the use of children's toys in the illustrations, which brought life to the discussion about size.
While I appreciate the different of perspectives, and there is much that can spark discussions, I also feel it could have gone deeper and been more direct in identifying why people sometimes feel small. It isn't usually a size thing, so much as an emotional state. It is a feeling of not being enough or not gaining needed attention. However, I recognize that by refusing to zone in on that emotional state, it lends itself well to other discussions, such as examining how big a child's trials and difficulties really are.
All in all, my little ones enjoyed this book, but weren't enthralled with it either. It is a good book, but not quite one that warrants asking for it over and over. That being said, it earns a good 4 stars for being a good discussion promoter and for the fun illustrations.

Thanks again to NetGalley for the book

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Some things are big, and small are small in a fun book, which shows how this comparison can be flipped on its head depending on the perspective.

The feeling of being too small hits front and center in these pages as the author explores what exactly small and big mean. By taking various objects, comparing them, and then throwing them into a whole new comparison, the idea of small and big become a matter of perspective...and it's shown that even when something is bigger, that doesn't mean it's more important or 'better'.

The illustrations in this one are fun to gaze at all on their own. It's a whimsical mix of painted/printed art and realistic objects, giving an almost 3-D appearance at times. There are little details to look through and simpler scenes as well, and unexpected bits of humor thrown in, too. The difference in sizes is brought across clearly and makes it exciting to discover what objects will come next....and these are definitely unexpected.

The text is kept on the lighter side, making it an easy read aloud and keeps boredom at bay. The explanations are short and allow the illustrations to meld in to demonstrate the message of big and small. Still, there are a couple more difficult concepts thrown in, which will probably leave younger listeners a little baffled. The older end of the intended age group will feel more at ease on this end.

It's a lovely book with a well placed message, and if nothing else, is intriguing and humorous as it takes the ideas of big and small, and shows how these descriptions aren't necessarily always right.

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Enjoyed the illustrations done with mixed media, that’s creative. Learned some new things about lady bugs floating in water for 24 hours. Storyline was a bit slow, but got through it.

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Can You See Me? is a children’s book all about perspective! I think it’s a great source for introducing the topic and would really get children thinking! The illustrations were beautiful and well designed. I did feel that the writing was a little small sometimes, especially for beginner readers. Overall, really cute book to have in a classroom or at home.

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"Can You See Me?" is a neat story book for children showing how the whole world is big or little depending on who you are and where you are.

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I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I really loved this, and the message that it sends to its readers: that how big or small something is is just a matter of perspective, and I think reading this can open conversations about many other similar things. Examples can be like "what is scary to you might not be scary to someone else" and vice versa which can be important to discuss with young kids! The art style and the examples were also super good!

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Can You See Me? is a wonderful and unique picture book that encourages children to think about the world. It informs them of the variety of sizes and species of animals. I loved how it challenges our perspective and promotes creative thinking. The illustrations are stunning and unique and were created using multiple media.

Thank you Kids Can Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

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My three year old son LOVES books almost as much as he loves animals. He loved this one! He had me read it multiple times. It will definitely be purchased in to add to our book shelf.

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This book will get kids thinking. Can something be both BIG and small? Things are not always what we think they are! The book points out that buildings, streets, and cities are all BIG while paper clips, daisies, and teaspoons are small. But if you are an ant or a flea those Big things are HUMUNGOUS and even the small things are HUGE to them. It all depends on who is doing the looking.

The author has included fun interesting facts along the way such as: a flea can jump 100x their own height, an ant can carry 50x its weight, and a lady bug is able to float in water for 24 hours. Kids will love to learn those astounding truths. The illustrations are simple and powerful. I particularly love the cover, it catches your attention and lures you in to find out more of the book's content.

The author makes the point that we live in a BIG world with many small world's in it and it is great fun to discover and explore both. I recommend this book.

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Can You See Me? is a book aimed at children, to teach perspective and the opposites of big and small. For example, an airplane looks BIG when you're standing right next to it, but SMALL when it is flying in the sky. These are concepts that young children do not understand, and this book aims to teach them that the same object can look both big and small, depending on the perspective you take. The book is loaded with many similar examples, at the level of a young child/reader.

This book would be most appropriate for older toddlers and newly independent readers (although there is some large vocabulary that may frustrate the independent reader). Younger toddlers and babies would not understand the concepts introduced, although they would enjoy the fabulous illustrations associated with the examples. Overall, this is an excellent book, aimed to teach more advanced concepts to our younger readers.

Thank you to the author, illustrator, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a teaching book with really cool, torn paper style illustrations. I think that the concepts it is trying to teach are really directed at preschoolers, but some of the comparisons and words in the book (math triangle, for instance) aren't things that my preschoolers are familiar with. That is going to make it hard to teach what the author is wanting to teach very effectively.

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What a gorgeous book. Recommend getting this for those children who are finding out who they are in the world and their place within it.
Beautiful illustrations work well together alongside the text, which at times is informational too.

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"We live in a big world with many small worlds in it."

Playful and informative. I read this to my daughters, ages 6 and 8. They both thought it was fun and said they learned something.

6 said she loved how they kept repeating how some things may SEEM small, but they may be big to others. A great introduction to the necessary idea of perspective.

It was confusing at times. For example, 6 said at the end that she was shocked that ants could lift rhinoceroses. She didn't understand the idea of the comparison and "times," as multiplication is an older concept. I tried (then enlisted the help of my math-major husband 🤣) to explain to her but she didn't *quite* get it. I do think her age group would be the target market, though, as by 8, when they would understand multiplication, my daughter was less interested.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. The illustrations were colorful and unique. Recommended.

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