BOOKS I COULD READ A MILLION TIMES: Me...Jane

I have heard about the book ME...JANE by Patrick McDonnell but hadn't gotten around to ordering it. I saw a copy while shopping in San Antonio and fell in love with it IMMEDIATELY. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year so far.

I am always on the lookout for good picture book biographies and I love stories about people who have made a difference in the world. And, I have always been a huge Jane Goodall fan. (Really, how could you not be?) I am fascinated by her life and her work.  I have read many of the books written about her and her work and I continue to be fascinated and inspired by her. So, I knew I would like this book. Just because it was about one of my favorite people. But I loved it even more than I expected and I imagine I will love this book forever. This is the story of Jane Goodall as a child.  A child who had a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee and who loved everything about the outdoors.  As of this moment, it is my choice for the Caldecott Award. And any other award that it is eligible for.  


Really, I think I could read this book more than a million times.  It makes my list of BOOKS I COULD READ A MILLION TIMES for so many reasons. Here are a few of those reasons:
-This book is great for readers of all ages.  There is not a ton of text so it is great for young readers. It is an amazing story of Jane Goodall's childhood so older children and adults will also love it.
-Patrick McDonnell's illustrations somehow capture Jane Goodall's spirit.
-This is a story about someone who discovered her passion early in life --gotta love that!
-I always love great picture books about people/kids who have made a difference in the world and this is one of those.
-The ending illustrations in the book are breathtaking.  Truly brilliant.
-One of the pages includes illustrations and puzzles that were created by Jane Goodall as a child!
-The end notes (one about Jane Goodall and one that is a message from Jane Goodall) give the reader a bit more information and inspiration.
-And the last page tells us a bit more about the illustrations, "Throughout this book, ornamental engravings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are included collectively evoking Jane's lifelong passion for detailed, scientific observation of nature."


This book captures the serious of Jane Goodall's work and the energy of her passion. With very little text, this tells us about Jane as a child and how her dream has lived on for her throughout her life.


This is a MUST MUST have book for everyone. It makes me happy every time I read it.


If you'd like to hear what others are saying about it, you can read about it here:
Fuse #8
100 Scope Notes
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
The Daily Green
The Hornbook (Starred Review)