It's Okay To Be Different

by Todd Parr

It's okay to be a different color. It's okay to dance by yourself. It's okay to wear glasses. It's okay to have a pet worm.... It's okay to be different!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, LGBT, Cultural, Self Esteem, Fiction, Storytime

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Todd Parr is a three-time New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of more than fifty books for children. He has inspired and empowered children around the world with simple, hopeful, and powerful messages such as “be kind”, “love yourself” and “be who you are,” all set with vibrant images in eye-catching primary colors. His books have received numerous awards and are available in nearly twenty languages. He also is the co-creator of the popular three-time Daytime Emmy©-nominated animated TV series, "ToddWorld" with Gerry Renert of SupperTime Entertainment. Several short films for Sesame Street have also been based on Parr’s work.

Parr devotes time to numerous philanthropic causes supporting pet adoption, children’s hunger, health, and literacy. He is a frequent reader and fundraiser for The Ronald McDonald House and serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. His corporate collaborations include Best Buy, Stouffer’s, and the San Francisco–Marin Food Bank, among others.

A native of Wyoming, Parr currently lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Andy Warhol type art Todd employs with vibrant colors. It’s a great message to anyone at any age. Be proud of you and the difference that come from that. I love the one that says It’s ok to dance by yourself. Indeed. Yes it is.

The kids think this is a fun little story too.

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Okay to be Different is such a bright and cheerful picture book. See those quirky DayGlo illustrations on the front cover? That is the kind of smiley fun you're in for throughout the book. At once a self esteem booster and a celebration of individuality, kids young and young at heart will love this book. Each page tells you it's okay to be, have or do something and is supported by cute illustrations that even I, wanna be artist that struggles to create a legible stick figure, could attempt to trace draw.

Whether it's being okay to:
* Be a different colour - a black and white zebra standing next to a red, green, blue and yellow one
* Talk about your feelings - I'll listen to you, Mr Lion
* Eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub - permission granted. Woohoo!
* Have different Mums and Dads - these are some seriously awesome looking parents
... this book includes lots of serious and seriously fun statements that will make you proud of being you.

And let's face it, who you are is pretty darn wonderful anyway! I wouldn't change a thing about you! 😃

[Arghavan-紫荆 · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از دلگرم کننده‌ترین و دوستانه ترین کتاب‌هایی که خوندم. دوست داشتم هزار صفحه بود، اصن هیچوقت تموم نمی‌شد...

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books by the uber talented Todd Parr are simply gold. I know I am aware of my judgement factor, we do judge others at times. This series remind us that firstly love our self; and secondly to simply just be kind. Simple concept which will hopefully fill our lil' ones minds. Indy likes these books. (My quirky hard to keep still 6 year old) - or am I talking about myself, too;)

[Nadi Ghaffari · Rating 5 out of 5]

این مجموعه کتاب‌ها به قدری شیرین و زیبا و خوندنیه که حتی برای آدم‌بزرگ‌ها هم مناسبه به نظر من. چه خوبه که بچه‌ها با همچین آموزه‌هایی بزرگ بشن.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd Parr books are some of my story time favorites because they are bright and written in a totally kid-friendly way, while also covering important concepts. This one explains that differences are okay - big and small, silly and serious. Although my 6-year old now thinks he should eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub. 😂

[Violet Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great because it talks about how we are all different. It's Okay to be Different, is a book that helps young children understand that there are no two people exactly alike and that it is okay to be who you are. It helps children learn to embrace the differences in the world around them and be proud of themselves and their families. It is a great book to read at the begining of the school year or for social emotional development.

Learning activity: SE1a: The children will demonstrate knowledge of personal information.

I will read the book "It's okay to be Different", to the class. As a large group we will discuss the differences in the people and families provided in the story and the environment around them. After our discussion on differences, I will hold a bean bag, introduce myself to the children and state something that I feel is different, that I like about myself (physically or something I enjoy doing). I will pass the bean bag to the child closest to me and encourage that child to share something about themselves that is different. He will then pass the bean bag to the person next to him....and so on. Each child will take a turn passing the bean bag around the circle and each child with the bean bag in his hand, will continue to share something about himself to his peers. This activity will promote social emotional development and turn taking.

[Notes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beberapa kali jadi relawan pendongeng untuk anak-anak Indonesia di sini mengubahku menjadi seorang pemilih. Ada beberapa buku favoritku, salah satunya "It's Okay to be Different" (Todd Parr). Buku-buku karangan Todd Parr mengajarkan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan kepada anak-anak melalui gambar-gambar yang menarik dan kalimat-kalimat sederhana. "It's Okay to be Different" mengajarkan bahwa berbeda itu adalah rahmat.

Nggak pa-pa punya gigi ompong. Nggak pa-pa perlu bantuan (ilustrasinya: tunanetra dituntun anjing). Nggak pa-pa berbeda warna (ilustrasinya: zebra bersetrip hitam-putih dan zebra berwarna-warni). Nggak pa-pa punya roda (ilustrasinya: orang berkursi roda). Nggak pa-pa tiba paling akhir (ilustrasinya: kura-kura tiba di garis finish). Nggak pa-pa punya ibu berbeda. Dan masih banyak lagi.

Ini loh, contoh buku yang mengajarkan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan kepada anak-anak tanpa menggurui. Sangat kurekomendasikan.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, darling book with a great message.

We used this to write our own...each child picked something that they think is okay and wrote a paragraph about why that is okay. "It's okay to be in a wheelchair." "It's okay to be scared on a cruise ship." "It's okay to like video games." "It's okay to have curly hair." And so on. They turned out really cute.

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing and I would recommend it to any teacher. No matter the grade level. This book touches bases on accepting the differences amongst a group of friends. My students actually used this book during a writing center.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro com cores bem chamativas, frases curtas que lembra os meninos que somos todos diferentes, não existem pessoas iguais!
Com formas físicas e hábitos diferentes somos todos especiais à nossa maneira!

[Chance Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

👌

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homework reading.

[Maricarmen]

Bought/read for my therapy practice now that I’m working with kids again. 10/10 so precious and important for kids to internalize

[Sarah Hannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response- I really like this book and just love how the author emphasizes a range of differences people may have amongst each other but that it is okay to have those differences. The illustrations are descriptive about what the author is trying to say is unique about someone but okay.

Purposes - read aloud kindergarten
-This book could be used for enrichment purposes to illustrate to students early that no matter what makes someone seem different from yourself, is completely okay and that it is the right thing to do, to respect the difference the other student may have and care for them as a person.
This book could really be used to express to students the wide variety of differences people may have.
- Before beginning the book, I could ask students what they think it means to "be different." or ask what they may believe differences are and ask why its good to treat everyone fairly.
This would be a good opportunity in the classroom if students are making fun of each other for not being able to read as well or learn numbers as well, that everyone is different and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses that we grow and develop and use to help others.

[Betsie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about our differences. Each page has a character doing something different, and says, "It's okay to...(get mad, lose a tooth, wear glasses, etc.). It also has silly examples like, "It's okay to help a squirrel collect nuts!" I like that the book has specific examples of differences because it allows children to relate to the book. I like the idea of reading this book with a large group of students, because you could add lots of opportunities to respond with questions like, "Does anyone here have glasses?" or "Does anyone get mad?" This book has a predictable pattern, which if read repeatedly, and a teacher could easily add a choral response component to the book to ensure that everyone follows along. The only thing that I didn't like about this book is it's size--it would be hard to read to a large group because the book itself is small. It would work well if read with an Elmo or if children had their own copies of the pictures or if reading to a smaller group of children. The kids won't want to miss out on the cool pictures in this book!

[Tawanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's okay to be different is a picture book. It is a primary read. The book tells that people and things are different and that it's ok to be different. It talked about people wearing glasses and some that dont wear glasses. That some have missing teeth while other's don't. It showed that despite how different we all are our differences are ok.The pictures are wonderful. It is a very easy read. The pictures are bright and colorful and would catch any young readers eye. My daughter enjoyed reading this book as well. I was listening to her read the book and on one page it said "its ok to be different" and she replied "it sure is". I thought that was cute. Very good book to use to teach about diversity.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and i feel that it is a cute way to introduce to children that differences are OK. I think some adults need to still learn this lesson, unfortunately. I appreciated that the book's illustration was not necessarily realistic. It has characters that are orange, purple, blue, and it even had some crazy looking animals; i think kids will find this to be fun and interesting and most importantly there is no one representation in the book. Therefore, anyone who reads the book can relate to it or picture themselves in the book. This is a lesson that is important to teach even people in the same family are different so it it important to introduce to children that those difference they may have already noticed are OK and its normal to be different.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bright and bold picture book celebrating diversity. The comforting repetitive text with the joyfully vivid illustrations make this a fun way to begin discussions on mutual respect and acceptance with preschool and early elementary students. A happy book with a big hearted message.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I know a lot of my friends have children who have been diagnosed with actual disorders so this comment is not meant for them.. so here goes. I think kids are over medicated and mis diagonesed for being wonderfully quirky and this book says EMBRACE YOUR QUIRKINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laura Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful story explaining the differences of all people. It is a nice way to have children relate to one another and understand it is okay to be different from everyone else,.

[Kristi Hovington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spanish version of this book is my "mystery reader" book for O&E class for their fall curriculum.

[Dani Gustavsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book I saw continuous repetition in wording. Every page started with ‘Its Okay’. This was because they wanted children to understand no matter what they look like, believe, or feel, it is okay to be different. I was surprised to see how no pages were about heritage or skin color. I loved this because I feel this doesn’t make children believe that we are different just exclusively on our skin color. Children need to be able to know everyone is going through different things and at the end of the day it’s okay to look the way you look and its okay to be the person you are. One connection I had was my nieces showed me this book. They were always self-conscious because they were adopted. This book talked about how it’s okay to be from different families and that you are still loved at the end of the day. I loved this book because I feel that it is able to reach so many people and make them feel good about whatever situation they are in.

[Lanica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! The pictures are intentionally childlike, the words are simple, the ideas are poignant and together these elements make a perfect book for kids!

I have read this book aloud to Pre-K, Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade. The giggles, gaffaws and aww's were the same for all these ages. Entire classes of kids were enthralled by Todd Parr.

At the end of each book is a little message that tells kids that they are awesome and need to continue to be proud of their differences. And they all end, "Love, Todd"

I highly recommend all the Todd Parr books for any Elementary School library - but especially this one!

[Emily Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Okay to Be Okay by Todd Parr

It's okay to be who you are. No one is exactly the same as you. A child learns to be confident in their differences. Whether you are big, small, tall, or short everyone is their own person. It's okay to feel emotions and express them how you please. Be who you are. You will be accepted.

Todd Parr does an amazing job at letting young readers know it's okay to be different than others. He explains how no matter you look or feel everything is fine. I believe this book is perfect for children starting in the age range of 3 years old. That's where they start noticing and paying attention to others and themselves. Teachers are able to read this book during morning circle time. Parents can read it while at home during bed time or even in the morning to start their child's day with great positivity. Confidence is key and I love to see children love who they are!

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first page...since I am missing four teeth of my own.😁

[jiawen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i needed this

it's okay to be who you are :-)

[eveonne ୨୧ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ - ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was little. Such a great message.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous for multiple reasons. The message within being one. The other being the visuals of this book are great for developing brains. Lots of bright contrasting colors. Definitely going to add to our collection.

[Mairéad · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5