What It’s Like to Be Me: Only You Know the True Answer. . . by Elizabeth Ann O’Handley

This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here.

In What It’s Like to Be Me: Only You Know the True Answer. . . a young girl wonders how the world sees her. So, she ventures around the natural world, asking different natural beings what they see when they see her. For a while, they each tell her something that they see, but then, at night, the girl seeks an answer from the stars. The stars tell her that they cannot give her the answer she wants, but rather, tell her that she should look inward. The girl then looks within and has some revelations.

Author Elizabeth Ann O’Handley has crafted a lovely rhyming picture book for ages two to twelve (but that doesn’t mean adult readers won’t get anything out of it). O’Handley’s words form a soft cadence that flows naturally and is pleasing both to read and to hear. The rhymes are well-timed and assist in that flow.

The overall message of What It’s Like to Be Me has a few aspects to it. O’Handley clearly encourages readers to connect with the natural world when they feel lost. Even though the young girl in the book doesn’t find her ultimate inner insights from the natural beings she encounters—that comes from within—she does find comfort from them, and they do assist her in uncovering her insights. This is a wonderful message for readers, young and old, because the natural world can be inspirational and prompt thoughtfulness.

The young girl’s ultimate inner insights—that no one knows you better than yourself, that you should lead with your heart and kindness, and that looking inwards is the way to find yourself when you feel lost—are important and relatable to a reader of any age. I was moved by how O’Handley presented them. I think this book will stay with me for a while.

Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention the book’s artwork. I found the artwork delightful and, in a way I can’t quite articulate, quite engaging. I loved how the natural beings came to life and rejoiced with the main character. The illustrations also felt layered in a thoughtful way.

What It’s Like to Be Me: Only You Know the True Answer. . . is a reflective and rhyming picture book by author Elizabeth Ann O’Handley. It carries with it an important message of self-reliance and self-insight while also encouraging connecting with the natural world. Finally, the art wonderfully assists in carrying readers on this thoughtful journey.

What It’s Like to Be Me: Only You Know the True Answer. . . by Elizabeth Ann O’Handley, Tellwell Talent