The Children’s Book Review

In this lovely, first-person story about sisterhood, readers are encouraged to think about what it means to be yourself and value the things that make you unique – even when others can’t see past appearances.

Stella and Paige are fraternal twins—that means they are twins, even though they don’t look alike. Stella loves her sister, but she is utterly sick of everyone expecting them to be exactly the same—like they’re not separate people, even! In fact, with so many people comparing Stella to Paige, Stella can’t help comparing herself to Paige or feeling sad that she’s not the same as her sister. Then, their big brother Robbie steps in with some much-needed reminders about just how great Stella is—in ways different from her sister.  

Stella’s narrative is endearingly honest, and readers can learn from observing her strategies to cope with low self-esteem and the challenges that come with other people’s assumptions. The language is simple but expressive, and textual cues such as color and size help readers pick out keywords. Bright and colorful illustrations bring the story to life and add visual cues to help readers spot and analyze differences.

The Only Me is a great way to start conversations about being yourself—for twins or any siblings!

Check it out on The Children’s Book Review