I received a free e-copy of “Uniquely You” in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are included below. I may make a commission from purchases through those links, but there are no further costs to you.
Title: Uniquely You
Author: Michelle S. Lazurek
Illustrator: Alison Wright
Publisher: Elk Lake Publishing Inc; First edition (Released February 3, 2018)
Book Summary (from Amazon): Plain Jane lives in a plain white house in a plain neighborhood. She believes she is ordinary and has nothing to offer others. That is until she notices the snowflakes coming down outside. When she realizes each one is unique and that no two snowflakes are alike, she learns an important lesson: God has created her with gifts and talents that only she can do. In fact, God has created all of us with gifts and talents that only we can do. That’s what makes you uniquely you!
Review (a version of this review first appeared on Kidmin Together, a blog I run to share resources for children and family ministry):
Uniquely You addresses the issues of comparison and self-worth, something we all deal with no matter what age we are. Jane, the main character, sees how gifted and talented her friends and classmates are, and feels the sting of “not good enough.” What the author, Michelle, does that I love is bring up the different gifts God gives us that may be harder to distinguish, like the gift of wisdom or the gift of hospitality. She creatively weaves in the spiritual gifts God gives us as written in the Bible in a way that doesn’t preach to readers, but encourages them to determine what they’re good at that they may have overlooked or have never even considered as gifts. Also, through the fun analogy of the snowflake, Michelle brings home the lesson that each one of us is uniquely created by God.
It is for these reasons that I recommend this book for that young child in your life who may be struggling to see his/her unique gifts or talents. It would make a great book for preteens, and it would also be a great addition to a ministry leader or ministry resource library. Give it to your the kidmin folks in your life! Uniquely You is a great tool to teach children about spiritual gifts from God, and to encourage them to use their gifts and talents to honor God and help others.
Uniquely You is also beautifully illustrated, and one of my favorite illustrations is in the beginning with Jane in music class and a dejected triangle on her desk while her classmates play “better” instruments. This is me in kindergarten, stuck with the triangle while other girls were given the xylophone. Plus, I had only 3 parts. I felt the sting of “not good enough.” Finding my worth in God and loving the unique me He created are things I had to learn, sometimes still continue to learn. There’s actually a triangle hanging on my wall. It’s my favorite instrument because in its simple ting!, I remember to fight for who God says I am.
