I Am Josephine (And I Am a Living Thing)

Josephine, a girl with brown skin and a mop of curly hair, proudly describes her place in the world, explaining that she is a human being, mammal, animal, and living thing (“and so is my brother, Felix, and so is a butterfly, and so is a tree, and so is a penguin”). Lee uses bright pastel blues, yellows, and peaches to create happy assemblages of living creatures while subtly showing how animals and people care for each other, hurt themselves, and otherwise interact; in addition to Josephine’s main narrative, Thornhill incorporates seek-and-find prompts throughout this romp through forests, seas, cities, and fields. It’s a smart way to introduce the characteristics that unite and distinguish members of the natural world, and a closing section of bulleted lists helps to explain the differences between these categoies of living things. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)