Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This always-inventive father and son team (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Jazz) offers up an “I am jam,” celebrating how every individual is really a collection of identities. The rap-like verse is voiced by a young narrator named Jeremy, who notices that every person he encounters sees him in a different light: to his sister, he’s a little brother; to his teacher (whose real life counterparts may find inspiration in these pages for a memorable classroom activity), he’s a writer; to a cute passerby, he’s a dancer; to his mother, he’s a dreamer. Each new identity is hailed with an exuberant fist bump: “The mailman lifted his fist./ I gave it a bam!/ It is kind of amazing all the people I am.” Jeremy clearly enjoys the dizzying possibilities that emerge from his conversations, musing at one point, “I’m walking tall and I’m walking proud./ Looked in a mirror—I look like a crowd.” Christopher Myers seconds that emotion with fluorescent and occasionally psychedelic collages that combine digital human figures (reminiscent of early iPod ads) with photographs. He conjures up a funky, visually fluid funhouse that proves pigeonholes are strictly for pigeons. Ages 5–9. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Oct.)

Kirkus Reviews

The Myerses—father and son—reunite for a poetic celebration of self that blends a sort of Whitman-esque hip-hop with '70s-vibe visuals. Adapting the cumulative cadences of Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? , Walter Dean Myers's text immediately establishes a preeminent self-affirmation: "I looked in the mirror / And what did I see? / A real handsome dude looking just like me." Narrator Jeremy hears from a succession of family, neighbors and community members and adds role after role to his portfolio. He's a brother, son, writer, city kid, artist, dancer, talker, runner, dreamer: "Looked in the mirror— / I look like a crowd." Christopher Myers overlays eclectic photo collages with stylized, silhouetted figures in saturated hues of chartreuse, butternut, chocolate, magenta and more. The text's two upper-case typefaces look like gritty, spray-painted stencils and whimsical woodcuts. There's a touch of call-and-response in the refrain ("He put out his fist. / I gave it a BAM!") that begs to be read aloud. This vibrant synthesis of poetry and pictures is a natural for classrooms and family sharing. (author's note, not seen) (Picture book. 4-8)

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Starred Review Walt Whitman once wrote, "I contain multitudes," and that important concept is brilliantly interpreted here by the Myers' father-son partnership. The elder Myers' rhythmic poem celebrates a young Everyman from Harlem who looks in the mirror to "see a real handsome dude looking just like me." Moving through the city, he encounters family and friends who share their points of view: "Along came my sister, / fine as she can be. / Hey, Jeremy,' she said, / You're little brother to me.'" Each helps him see that he is a valued artist, runner, dreamer, and more, and that he has a lot to give to himself and the world. The innovative art and design represent different identities with colorful silhouettes placed against photos of people, places, and icons. Sometimes the connections are more obvious, like the photo of a sun, which plays on the word son, and there is an image of a stingray accompanying Jeremy's reference to himself as "a silver-rayed moonbeamer"; other images, such as Buddha heads, giraffes, and ketchup bottles, suggest more abstract connections. The overall effect is that of performers in front of a huge screen of rapidly changing images at a pop concert or a video game, and blocks of solid color provide visual rest and keep the gutters clear. This very contemporary work is encouraging, energetic, and inspired.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

I looked in the mirror / and what did I see? / A real handsome dude / looking just like me. The poem-text has swagger and bounce as the narrator celebrates everything that makes him who he is. Collage illustrations present Matisse-like cutouts of human figures in hot, strong colors against almost abstractly cropped photos that suggest a world brimming with riches.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 1-5 The dynamic father-son duo returns with another high-energy poetry book. Looking Like Me is a song of oneself, and of all of the elements that make up and define an individual. On first looking in the mirror, Jeremy sees "a real handsome dude/looking just like me." When friends and family see him, he discovers that he is also a brother, a son, a writer, a city childa whole world in one self. The poetry sings with Walter Dean Myers's trademark urban verve. Jeremy punctuates his encounters by fist-bumping his family members and associates and exclaiming "I gave it [the fist] a BAM!" This now-familiar gesture powerfully expresses the solidarity Jeremy feels with the others in his community. Moreover, these encounters underline how his relationships shape his perceptions of himself. The rhyme and repetition flow naturally, capturing the rhythms of everyday conversation and the hip-hop beats many children hear daily. Christopher Myers's bold, vivid illustrations fuel the energy of his father's verse. Bright paper cutouts of the characters stand before photo collages that capture lively occasions in a variety of cultures. These paper figures are blue, green, and other colors that do not correspond to natural skin tones. Children of any ethnic background thus can project themselves onto the silhouettes. This book is an excellent introduction to verse, for it vividly demonstrates how poetry is a vital part of daily life. Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY