The Venn Diagram of authors, publishers, and readers is complex. Authors want everyone to read their books. Publishers love books that sell and readers have a variety of entry points. That last category could be a book that’s entertaining, fun to read (or look at), makes you think, teaches a lesson, or educates. It’s those last two classifications that are often the trickiest to maneuver in illustrated books. Beautifully Me is the story of Zubi, an overweight kid who is starting pre-K. It’s an illustrated book whose message about accepting everyone for who they are needs to be heard by young readers.
A message that kids need in a book that’s preachy