A Person Can Be ...

A one-of-a-kind book that shows how naughty and nice (and other opposite qualities!) can describe the same person — at the same time!

This deceptively simple book uses children’s everyday experiences to explore the complexities of human nature. Each page features an illustration of a child embodying two seemingly contradictory characteristics, with the named characteristics as the only text. For example, “Unlucky and lucky” describes a boy whose bouquet of balloons makes him lucky, but since one has floated away, he’s unlucky at the same time. On another page, a girl making sure that the food she’s pouring lands in her cat’s bowl is careful, but since her foot has knocked over the bag of food, she’s clumsy as well. And another girl climbing a tree to retrieve a kite is brave, but she’s also afraid. Full of clever observations, it’s sure to pique children’s curiosity about all the ways people can be, while making them wonder — How many different things am I?

Kerri Kokias has crafted a unique and thoughtful picture book that gives children the vocabulary to identify the emotions, attributes, and personality traits of complicated humans everywhere. Both serious and lighthearted, it validates feelings, fosters emotional intelligence, and provides a wealth of social emotional learning. It’s perfect for conversations about how other people can be, and how children sometimes feel they are themselves. Carey Sookocheff’s sophisticated artwork makes the dual characteristics clear, and at the same time, moves each of the character’s stories forward, until all of them (a total of 10, each appearing twice) are gathered together at the playground, “Different and the same.”