Look at Me: a celebration of self, playfulness, and exploration
written by Audrey Beth Stein and illustrated by Kristina Neudakhina
Hardcover distribution: Ingram (ISBN: 978-0-578-96531-4)
EPUB distribution: Draft2Digital (to OverDrive, Baker & Taylor, bibliotheca, BorrowBox, and retailers)
Subjects: Emotions; Play; Gender; LGBTQ interest
Trim: 8.5x8.5 in (28 pages, illustrated)
What do YOU like to wear? Nail polish? Fancy suits? Pigtails? Monday underwear? Possibilities are endless in this vibrantly
illustrated picture book for all genders about self-expression and play.
Feelings and senses take center stage in Look at Me as a diverse cast of children share what they like (and don’t like) to wear. “Pants are itchy. I like tights,” says one kid. “When I grow up, I’m going to live somewhere warm and be naked all the time,” declares another. Look at Me inspires kids to be themselves and to embrace others’ differences.
Some of the kids love how they look already. Others want to try something new. A few look the way they do for reasons beyond their control. But whether it’s through their hair, their clothes and accessories, or something they were born with, each has their own playful and distinct way of exploring their appearance.
Although no child’s race, gender, or disability is explicitly mentioned, the illustrations capture the diversity of the real world. Non-binary and gender-nonconforming characters appear alongside gender- conforming kids and adults.
Thanks to the wide cast of characters, every child who reads Look at Me will find at least one person they relate to in this thoughtful and sweet celebration of self.
Look at Me’s bright thoughtful images and artful easy-to-read text inspire introspection and discussion.
Children often don’t have the right words to communicate big emotions or physical discomfort. Look at Me gives parents, teachers, and caretakers the jumping off points they need to start a conversation with their kids about identity, gender, and self-expression.
Barnes & Noble (first experience of a non-mall bookstore in my hometown... what a cornucopia of books!)
Giovanni's Room (Philadelphia; first queer bookstore I ever visited)
Porter Square Books and Harvard Bookstore (Cambridge; my local independent bookstores)
NEW! All She Wrote Books (Somerville; my local queer feminist independent bookstore)
The Book Rack, The Concord Bookshop, and BOOK ENDS Winchester (more local-ish indie bookstores)
Parnassus Books (first place I visited in Nashville)
Elliot Bay Book Company (Seattle; has a brief cameo in my now out-of-print memoir)
Bookshop.org (online hub that supports indie bookstores)
Amazon.com and Amazon in Australia, the U.K., Japan, Canada, Brazil, India, Spain, and other locations. (You can also order my books Bear and Dragon Cat and Do Over here, as well as a paperback version of Look at Me.)
Indigo.ca (Canada)
Kraina Książek (Poland)
Yes24.com and Aladin.co.kr (South Korea)
JD.com (China)
Booktopia.com.au (Australia)
Fishpond.co.nz and Mighty Ape (New Zealand)
Waterstones (U.K.)
Or find it at your local independent bookstore through IndieBound.
Note: the list price is $19.95 (hardcover) in the U.S and varies abroad. (There is also an Amazon-only paperback for $12.99.) Due to weirdness in the industry, you may see it listed by some retailers or resellers for more than list price. You may also stumble upon it on sale at times. I only added U.S. links above if the book was shown for list price or less at the time I added it. I receive the same amount per copy for a new hardcover regardless of what you pay.
I am greatly appreciative of the booksellers at Porter Square Books, Harvard Bookstore, and Belmont Books for helping me figure out the ins and outs of the distribution weirdness and how to make Look at Me available through their websites (and many others).
How you can help... even if you don't read picture books.
- Buy copies for friends
- Ask your local or hometown library to add Look at Me to their collection
- Ask your local preschools and elementary schools to order copies of Look at Me for their libraries and classrooms
- Ask a school, library, or classroom teacher if you can donate a copy of Look at Me
- Review the book... an honest 4- or 5-star review helps sales
- Post about Look at Me on social media
- Share why books like this matter to YOU
Here's a link to the publication slip for Look at Me. It has a book description along with publication and distribution information. You can download and email this PDF to librarians, teachers, and administrators, along with few words of your own, to encourage them to purchase the book.
Have a peek inside.
Kristina and I worked on this book entirely remotely, sharing files and messages electronically between Russia and the United States, talking over Zoom.
My author proof copy of the book came from Tennessee or Pennsylvania, I believe. Her illustrator copies were printed in the U.K., and I almost thought the tracking updates from UPS were spam at first (Russian at the top, English faaar down below, with familiar brown-and-yellow branding that made me take a closer look).
It was such a thrill to know the book had made it into Kristina's hands, and to receive these wonderful photos from her!
