PPBF #7 from the Archives — My Name is Elizabeth

This was first posted in December 2011 on my old blog.

Title:  My Name is Elizabeth!

Author:  Annika Dunklee

Illustrator:  Matthew Forsythe

Publisher:  Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2011

Genre:  Picture book, fiction

Audience Age:  3 and up

Theme:  identity, names, standing up for oneself, self-respect

Opening Sentences:  My name is Elizabeth. I really like my name. I like that it’s nine letters long. And I like all the neat things my mouth does when I say it.

Synopsis:  Elizabeth likes her name. A lot. She doesn’t like being called any of the many permutations of her name – Betsy, Beth, Liz, etc. She is determined that people will call her Elizabeth, and ONLY Elizabeth. She is firm. Until the last page…

Note: The cover shows just how the illustrations are shaded throughout the book, harkening back to the days of Blueberries for Sal and similar books.

Activities/Resources:  There are name games for kindergartners, as well as many “name” book suggestions (including this book) at Mrs. Meacham’s Classroom Snapshots. There are reflections on the importance to a child of his/her name, as well as songs and activities at Kinderkorner. And finally, there are several items under the heading “Name Recognition” at the website Teach Preschool. Edited to Add: As Patricia pointed out in the comments, this would be a great book to start a conversation between parents and child about why the child’s name was chosen. Thank you, Pat!

Availability: This was published just this year, in both Canada and the United States, and is readily available at Barnes and Noble and likely at local bookstores as well.

# 6 in Perfect Picture Book Fridays. See all this week’s Perfect Picture Books at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog, or find the entire listing at her “Perfect Picture Books.”