Review: A valuable lesson for youngsters
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 14, 2013
One of my sisters was born with a prominent port wine birthmark that she was ashamed of for many years. Eventually, she came to appreciate its rarity and took some degree of pride in it. In the story "Just the Way I Am," young Andrew has noticed a blemish on his arm and is alarmed by it. He tries unsuccessfully to make the embarrassing spot go away, and finally turns in desperation to his mom. She alleviates his concerns by explaining what a birthmark is and how individual they are.On one level, the illustrated rhyming story explains birthmarks and why they are simply harmless blemishes and nothing to worry about. On a deeper, more meaningful level, however, the story serves to reassure kids that cosmetic differences in people should be accepted and that they don't affect who the person is. They can even be cherished and celebrated.It's a good lesson for youngsters to learn at an early age.