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Why Am I Different? (Concept Books
Some people can't eat chocolate, and some are good at whistling. Some people are tall, some are short. People want different things for their birthdays. If we were all the same, it would be like seeing everything in gray - boring. Being different makes the world a colorful and exciting place!
31 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1987
4 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Norma Simon
72 books9 followersNorma Simon has published more than fifty books for children. Her books
have the special quality of engaging children because they deal with experiences which have rich emotional meaning for them. Her books explore a
wide spectrum of topics ranging from playful accounts of children and pets,
from the pleasures of a rainy day (WET WORLD is her most recent book for
Candlewick) to books which help children deal with death and separation.
Ms. Simon has had a lifetime of experience working with children as a
teacher, parent, and, for more than twenty-eight years, working as a
volunteer with the children in her local elementary school.
Her formal education includes a B.A. from Brooklyn College and,
significantly for her career, an M.S. from Bank Street College of Education.
As a pioneer in "progressive" education for children, the Bank Street
College philosophy of early childhood education continues to influence her
work.
On a personal note, Norma Simon grew up in New York City. Her parents came
from Europe as adults. Her extended family all shared a big brownstone
house in Brooklyn, New York, where she lived until she was six with her
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
For the past thirty years, Norma and her husband have lived on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. She enjoys fishing on Cape Cod Bay, clam digging, hunting
for wild mushrooms, gardening, cooking and--when she has time--reading.
have the special quality of engaging children because they deal with experiences which have rich emotional meaning for them. Her books explore a
wide spectrum of topics ranging from playful accounts of children and pets,
from the pleasures of a rainy day (WET WORLD is her most recent book for
Candlewick) to books which help children deal with death and separation.
Ms. Simon has had a lifetime of experience working with children as a
teacher, parent, and, for more than twenty-eight years, working as a
volunteer with the children in her local elementary school.
Her formal education includes a B.A. from Brooklyn College and,
significantly for her career, an M.S. from Bank Street College of Education.
As a pioneer in "progressive" education for children, the Bank Street
College philosophy of early childhood education continues to influence her
work.
On a personal note, Norma Simon grew up in New York City. Her parents came
from Europe as adults. Her extended family all shared a big brownstone
house in Brooklyn, New York, where she lived until she was six with her
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
For the past thirty years, Norma and her husband have lived on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. She enjoys fishing on Cape Cod Bay, clam digging, hunting
for wild mushrooms, gardening, cooking and--when she has time--reading.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 2, 2010
This book demonstrates an assortment of ways in which people are different. It presents a different child on each page who tells about one things that is different about them. The types of differences vary from hair color, size, age, likes, grandparents, housing, language, adoption, and more. The children express being content with whom you are. Some express the negative feelings that can come from not being "one of the crowd", but at the end of the day, being content with being different.
April 16, 2012
A book that introduces different cultures and acknowledges people are different. Shows students that people are not the same and that is a good thing. I would keep this on my bookshelves and read it to my class if there were problems occuring regarding culture.
December 9, 2020
Nice idea, but feels super dated. This was probably a great tool when it came out in the 70s, when books like this were less common, but there are better picture books out there now with similar messages.
October 14, 2017
3-4; contemporary realistic; Often times children shy away from groups because they may not like the same things, or have different beliefs, but this story beautifully explains that it’s okay to be different because we all are. I feel the really gains children’s respect to a story.
May 17, 2020
The intent of this book is nice, but it definitely a product of the 70's.
January 29, 2022
Another great picture book that can help children understand it's okay to be different! Diversity is what makes our world so wonderful and all of us so beautifully unique.
May 26, 2022
4.5/5 A very simplified message that could be argued that it's suited perfectly for the audience.
February 14, 2017
Summary: In this book, children from different families and backgrounds distinguish differences between themselves and others. The children first discuss physical differences, then allergic differences, differences in abilities and interests, life at home, and finally, family and cultural differences. The pictures show the emotions children experience when dealing with these various differences. In the end, after the narrator recalls a strange dream that nobody was different, he/she realizes that no one person is exactly the same, and that being different is a good thing.
Themes: The major theme throughout the book is embracing differences.
Personal Response: I loved this book! As we grow older, we learn to accept our differences, but I remember this being a tough concept to grasp as a child. This book reminds me of how self-conscious I was as a child about always being one of the tallest kids in my class. I hated being tall, because I felt like I stood out in a bad way. However, the older I got, the more I learned to love and embrace my height as well as the differences between others. What I loved most about this book was the illustrations. The pictures were mostly black and white, with some parts colored in yellow. I interpreted that the yellow parts represented similar qualities within us, while the black and white parts represented our differences.
Recommendations: I definitely recommend this book, because children have highly active, curious minds and easily soak in everything around them -- especially differences between things and one another. There are some differences that children are proud of, but others may cause children to feel like outsiders. It is important that children learn at an early age that differences are what make us unique and special.
Themes: The major theme throughout the book is embracing differences.
Personal Response: I loved this book! As we grow older, we learn to accept our differences, but I remember this being a tough concept to grasp as a child. This book reminds me of how self-conscious I was as a child about always being one of the tallest kids in my class. I hated being tall, because I felt like I stood out in a bad way. However, the older I got, the more I learned to love and embrace my height as well as the differences between others. What I loved most about this book was the illustrations. The pictures were mostly black and white, with some parts colored in yellow. I interpreted that the yellow parts represented similar qualities within us, while the black and white parts represented our differences.
Recommendations: I definitely recommend this book, because children have highly active, curious minds and easily soak in everything around them -- especially differences between things and one another. There are some differences that children are proud of, but others may cause children to feel like outsiders. It is important that children learn at an early age that differences are what make us unique and special.
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March 23, 2017(Fiction) “Why Am I Different” talks about the many ways in which children realize they are different from others. It’s no secret that we are all different and unique. Children notice these differences and wonder why people look the way they do. More importantly, they wonder why they are different. The book asks reader what makes them different. The story contained many realistic instances of being different and I feel many students can relate to at least one of the scenarios. There is a transition within the book where some children hate standing out or do not fit the norm but towards the end they relieve that everyone is unique and the world would be a very boring place if everyone was exactly the same. The language is easy to follow and age appropriate for young children. The book contained black and white illustrations with random items colored yellow. I personally think children are drawn to more colorful images but I feel there was a purpose to this simplicity. It may be a way to show that the world would be dull if everyone was alike. I’m not quite sure. The pictures did correspond well with the text and help further develop the story. Multiple cultures were present and were not negatively stereotyped. The readers gained brief insight to each individual character’s lifestyle which is understandable considering how many instances of diversity were given.
February 2, 2016
Summary: This book is about children who are different and it talks about what is different in each and everyone one of them. It talks about how children can all look different in sizes, hair color, skin color or eye color. It goes on to talk about the differences in food children eat and different homes, family and what animals they have. It shows contrast between people and how it is okay to be different because people will accept you and will like you for who you are and not what your differences are. At the end it says that we are all different but also alike, and if everyone was the same no one would like that. It ends by saying " I am different and so are you. That's good!"
Theme: I think the theme in this story is acceptance of others and being okay in your own skin and with the life you live. It shows many examples of people who are different and most children can connect to the children in some way, whether it be their skin color or what animals they have.
Rating: I would rate this book a 4, I think it is important for children to understand people are different and that we all come from different places but can all still be friends!
Personal Response: I remember in elementary school when bullying started and we always talked about how it was okay to be different. I used to get made fun of for being smaller than everyone else and it constantly hurt my feelings. I think it is a good thing to teach children young that people are different and it is not okay to make fun of them. The book explains that everyone is different, my second grade teacher used to always say “ everyone is different and it’s okay because everyone is still friends.”
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to teachers working with young children and parents. They could use this book to help teach kids before they are in the school setting that not everyone is like them. It gives a lot of good examples of children at school and is very relatable to most children.
Theme: I think the theme in this story is acceptance of others and being okay in your own skin and with the life you live. It shows many examples of people who are different and most children can connect to the children in some way, whether it be their skin color or what animals they have.
Rating: I would rate this book a 4, I think it is important for children to understand people are different and that we all come from different places but can all still be friends!
Personal Response: I remember in elementary school when bullying started and we always talked about how it was okay to be different. I used to get made fun of for being smaller than everyone else and it constantly hurt my feelings. I think it is a good thing to teach children young that people are different and it is not okay to make fun of them. The book explains that everyone is different, my second grade teacher used to always say “ everyone is different and it’s okay because everyone is still friends.”
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to teachers working with young children and parents. They could use this book to help teach kids before they are in the school setting that not everyone is like them. It gives a lot of good examples of children at school and is very relatable to most children.
March 7, 2015
I thought this was a very sweet children's book that discusses the differences between everyone and their unique differences. This book looks at the uniqueness of all many multiracial people that children encounter in a day. The differences range from missing teeth, skin color, height, hair color, and food preferences. The children and people of this town are illustrated in a way that shows the many differences with out using hardly any color. The book only uses black and white illustrations with occasional splashes of yellow on some pants, shirts and walls. The book was written and illustrated in 1976, and the outfits and scene depictions definitely show the era, but it is still a book that can work in the current classroom when talking about multicultural differences.
February 20, 2016
An older book that covers many different types of differences: growth, hereditary (hair color), physical conditions (allergies), abilities, preferences, family standards & circumstances, religions, cultural backgrounds, parental occupations, adoptions etc. Each page covers a different circumstance which can be used as a discussion point by parents, teachers or guardians. Printed in 1976, this book is rather old, the pictures are only three colors - white, black and yellow and are not attractive to today's children. This would not be something students will take out of the library on their own, but may be something teachers or counselors will want on their shelves for certain situations.
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April 24, 2013This is a wonderful book about being different. It covers almost every aspects of being different from age, gender, race, hair, family, hobbies and much more. It is about embracing what you have and loving it. This is a great book about loving yourself despite being different from the people in your class.
April 4, 2011
Everyone in the world is different and it's for a good reason. Some students however may feel bad because they are too different from others. This is a good book to read to students and have a conversation about how it's good to be a different individual and embrace and accept his/her differences.
April 12, 2011
Great book to read with students when discussing diversity and how people are not all the same, but that is ok. This book can be used to introduce a discussion with students on differences and how those differences are what makes each of us unique.
March 28, 2012
I think this book is good to let students learn about differences. This book would be age appropriate for 3rd grade students mainly because of the wording in the book. I think children will enjoy seeing that people can be different and there is nothing wrong with that.
January 31, 2010
The illustrations are not as appealing to a young group of students as they ought to be, but the book does promote a meaningful message of how each individual is quite unique.
April 22, 2010
This story talks about differences in people. This is a great book to read to children that although everyone is different, it is okay, it is who we are.
July 23, 2015
Excellent book! My soon to be 2nd grader is learning about character (respect, kindness, etc...).
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews