I'm The Best

Lucy Cousins (text/illus)

Walker Books, UK: 2010

ISBN: 9781406323689

Genres: picture book

Issues: showing off, friendship

Dog thinks he's the best at everything. He can dig better holes than Goose. He can run faster than Mole. He can swim better than Donkey. He's bigger than Ladybird. He's the best!

It's not much fun being Dog's friend when he's always being the best at everything. So his friends show him that being the best depends on your perspective. Can Dog cope with not being the best? Does it really matter if he isn't? Or is it perhaps that everybody is best at something - you just have to look hard to find what it is.

Another delightful book from Lucy Cousins, I'm the Best encourages readers to feel positive about themselves without showing off or belittling others. As always, friendship and kindness are promoted as the key to happiness and self-confidence. Cousins uses colour to reinforce this, adding darker tones when Dog's friends are feeling a bit bleak about always being bested by their friend, and brighter ones when they resolve the issue.

A great read for early childhood.