All of Me! A Book of Thanks

by Molly Bang

In colors as bright as sunshine, Caldecott Honor Illustrator Molly Bang presents a young child who is thankful for the world around him/her.Few children's book artists can capture the voice and feelings of a young child as well as master painter Molly Bang, the recipient of three Caldecott Honors. Bang's most popular books are in this genre, such as our own WHEN SOPHIE GETS ANGRY--REALLY, REALLY ANGRY..., which has sold more than a million copies in the United States. In this book, a child is thankful for those things that are most immediate to a youngster--including hands, feet, eyes, and ears. Simple and very engaging!

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Thanksgiving, Bodies, Family, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Dest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might use this for a Thanksgiving story time because it's full of thank yous, but it does kind of read like a Unitarian prayer, which is not a problem so much as something to note (e.g. one of the last lines is "And this whole universe is inside...all of me!"--huh?).

The child in the book has a white dad and a brown mom, and he's a shade in between, which is also pretty cool because there certainly aren't enough picture books that show multi-racial families.

And there's some info at the end about how to create art for a book. Very neat.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool art and illustrations (lots of collage imagery). Story is about appreciating one's body/self and what it does for us. Some mention of emotions as well.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed media illustrations and a positive message. Loved the paintings of her cat.

[↜ƈɦǟռ☂ɛℓℓɛ↝ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just a strange book.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

On first read, the illustrations just jumped off the page for me. The mixture of paper and fabric and crayon is fantastic. The message itself resonates and takes some time to settle.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

really nice book, Bang added notes (for kids,adults teachers) about how she did the collage art and a short essay about Jewish blessings of gratitude.

[Danni Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful and the idea behind this book is lovely. It's a shame to have to criticize it like this, but unfortunately the focal point of the "thankfulness" messages are reliant on the things that ability-normative bodies can do, which is alienating and othering for a child whose body does not do those things. I usually really like Molly Bang's work, but for this reason I can't recommend this book.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 1 out of 5]

The absolute only place I would recommend for this book would be a daycare. A daycare for children young enough to still be learning about their bodies. Julia was extremely bored with this. The only thing she though was cool, and which I agreed on, what the way the pictures are shown.
The collages and crayon and paint, etc. is all pretty cool. The author tells and "shows" how she did it at the end which is definitely a cool thing for the artistic kids out there.
I definitely have to agree with the reviewers who mentioned the last lines in the story. I was already planning on doing the same. "And this whole universe is inside... all of me! What a wonder." Say what? I guess I get it but... no. Just no.
Loved, loved, loved the muti-cultural family and I loved that Bang took it a step farther with a white father and black mother. Not seen much and it should be seen more.
Let's just put it like this, if you're kid knows which body parts are which, skip it. If you're child may be interested in the artistic side of the book I'd flip through - without reading it - and concentrate on the "instructions" at the end.

[Samantha Hanhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had so many elements to get the reader involved. As the main character goes through all of his body parts you can have the reader point to where those parts are on their body. There are also lots of objects in the illustrations that you can ask the reader to point out to you. One page depicts facial expressions and body language of different emotions that you can either have the child identify or ask to show you on themselves. The illustrations were unique in that the author used a combination of many different artistic elements and mediums. Then at the end she explains how she made the book and encourages the reader to make one too, which could be a great activity to do after reading the book.

[Mommywest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for increasing understanding of and appreciation for our bodies and all they do. (As other reviewers have noted, the last page is a little strange to me, although, depending on your beliefs, it may resonate with you.) Our senses, our emotions, and the things we can do because of our bodies are touched on. And the important virtue of gratitude is definitely reinforced. Molly Bang's unique artwork is very appealing, and I love that she shows how she created the illustrations at the end, giving children a chance to try her art techniques for themselves. Preschool: My Amazing Body, Thanksgiving

[Cara Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended by our local library as a great book for Thanksgiving, Bang's picture book is a wonderful meditation on being thankful for the world from a child's perspective. In depicting a mixed race family, Bang also subtly nods to the diverse make up of many American families. She mixes media in the illustrations - which does not always look aesthetically beautiful, but there are some stunning pages with a combination of cut paper and paint (reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats' work). While I appreciated this "grateful" narrative, my daughter is enthralled by the illustration of the large tabby cat that accompanies the young child on many of the pages.

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best part about this book is that the artwork is done in a unique way and the author shares how that's done at the end of the book. The artwork was created using crayons, paint and collage on paper bags.

Some other points of interest:

* This book pictures an interracial family (white dad, dark-skinned mom) - finally!
* There is no religion in this book, the boy is thankful but not to anyone in particular.
* The last line is a little weird "And this whole universe is inside - all of me! What a wonder."

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not crazy about the style of illustration. The story was a bit lacking as well. About halfway through the author drops the thank you theme and just starts listing all of the things his body can do, eventually picking up the thank you near the end. However, with small children, that continued repetition is usually necessary. It is good to remind kids to be thankful for these simple things in their lives, but there is probably a more entertaining way to do that than this book. Also, if you have any children with any kind of disability, this is not a good choice.

[Youth Services · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful book from Molly Bang! In this picture book, a child talks about body parts, and the things they let him do, feelings, and places -- and how he's grateful for all of those things letting him be who he is. The illustrations are lovely, and will give kids a lot to look at while you read this great story of thanks to them.

Lisle Library Call #: E BAN

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is fun on a few levels. The illustrations are neat in that there is felt and other texture captured in the images. I like that it goes through the body pretty systematically, which helps with identifying parts for the child. The overall theme of thankfulness for how all of the body is useful I think is the best aspect.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one will be good for toddler storytimes when we do parts of the body, and it'll work for that age for Thanksgiving, just to talk about what we're thankful for. I didn't love the book - no plot, just a list - but I thought the end papers on the last page were cool for older ones, where Molly Bang shows the media she used to make the book and explains a bit of her process.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of Me! is a good book to share about the body. It talks about what all your parts do and thanks them for it. I think the story should have ended when it was done with the body. The rest of it makes it a bit long for toddlers. The writing is too simple and abstract for preschoolers. The pictures are bright and simple enough.

[Sofia and Francine Dines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is helping us to get ready for our First Thanksgiving. The book made us think about the functions of different parts of our bodies, and also we learned about how to give gratitude for ourselves and the universe. The pictures are of a boy with a cat, and two cats are in our family, so we made a text to self connection.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the silence page, the safety page, and the calm page. The rest feels a bit forced around an idea, and after When Sophie gets Angry, it's hard not to have high expectations of Molly. Her social stories are great. I haven't tried it out on a child yet, so their response will be the most important deciding factor in how great an influence this book will have.

[Sam Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool book with beautiful illustrations. On the back inside cover Bang shows what materials she used to illustrated the book. And of course, it is nice to have another good Thanksgiving read-aloud... one of the hardest holidays for which to find good books!

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The small boy in this story gives thanks to all of his wonderful body parts as he comes to reaize that they all play an important role in his life. This book is perfect for pre-k students and even younger children as they become more aware of the own bodies.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would work great with young kids. The pictures are bright and colorful and it passes some great information along in a way the kids will understand it. It introduces emotion and the 5 senses.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A must have book around during Thanksgiving. This is about of child who is thankful for everything. Great read for kids to teach them how to appreciate the world around them! Appropiate for preschoolers and toddlers.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book fell far short in wowing me. The target audience seems so narrow that his book would have an incredibly short shelf-life in a private library. And I wasn't all that impressing with the artwork: Denise Fleming does it better.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm definitely going to have to try more by this author. I chose this because I was looking for a book for Thanksgiving without continuing the whole pilgims and native americans were friends with no problems whatsoever myth. This works! Unrelated to the holiday but definitely about giving thanks.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needing a book to go with Thanksgiving-themed movement storytime. This should work well, and focuses on a different, more important aspect than all those food songs!

11/21/16 The kids really enjoyed this. And we had a huge crowd for it, too!

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

all about me - portions of it would encourage interactive movements with toddlers...although I cut the story short for audiences in that age range.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is--as always with Molly Bang--magnificent and kids will love it.
But the text is awkward and some of the words/concepts don't go with the toddler/preschooler feel of the art. Disappointing.

[Allison]

A child is thankful for his abilities, and what they allow him to do, and how it connects him to the universe. Nice big bright pictures.

[Franki Sibberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for writing off in notebook early in the year. Great illustrations and a great story of thanks.