I'm Not by Pam Smallcomb (2011)

     I just bought this book a couple of weeks ago. I had seen it a few times before but I judged this book by its cover, which is really cute but I  thought that this book probably didn't have much to it. I was wrong. This is one of my new favorite books about friendship.
     The narrator, a girl alligator(or maybe a crocodile?), begins the book by introducing her outgoing, energetic and talented friend Evelyn.She describes that Evelyn is a lot of things: a circus performer, Antarctic explorer, snappy dresser... but she is not any of those of things. The book goes in a different direction when the narrator realizes that she is good at things that Evelyn is not good at, like spelling, karate and making cookies, but Evelyn points out that what makes the narrator really special is that she is a true-blue friend!
     The illustrations are very familiar to the illustrations done by James Marshall for the George and Martha books. They are clever and some are accompanied by little word bubbles that are sure to make you laugh! For instance in the picture below Evelyn is telling the narrator, while painting her scales,  "YOU ARE SCRUMPTIOUS IN PINK!". (What a vivacious little girl she is!)

     This book is a great read aloud for an elementary class. I'm Not is a perfect introduction to a discussion on friendship and individuality. Students can discuss what makes a "true-blue" friend and that friendship is not a competition, but instead, it is a combination of traits, some similar and some different.
     This is Pam Smallcomb's first venture into the picture book world, I am definitely looking forward to her future endeavors.
     P.S. I did a little research and she will be coming out with a second picture book in September of 2011 about a boy and his alien pen pal, Clunk.