I am one hundred percent Me!

One Hundred Percent Me: Renee Macalino Rutledge: Illustrated by Anita Prades

Within this wide and vast world there are millions if not billions of people. Each person belonging to a family, having his/her own heritage and yet with a mixed blend of different nationalities. Take the journey with the little girl in this book and begin to understand, differences, similarities and even more your own uniqueness. You are you! You are One Hundred Percent YOU!
Walking with her Mama and Papi and her down she passes many people. Imagine half of her face lie Mama’s and half like Pap’s. Was that right? They are her parents, and she is alike in many ways, but She looks like herself. “I am one hundred percent me!” she responds. 

This started her reflected on where members of her family came from. Her father’s parents from Puerto Rico and her mother’s from the Philippines. She then states her family is form New York, Puerto Rico, San Francisco and the Philippines and she is from Oakland. Seeing her Tio and tia they say she has her apap’s eyes and is she proud of that? Thinking hard she says she is proud, but her eyes belong to her. They are my own: I am one hundred present me? They gave her a high five! Throughout this illustrated book she reflects on the various places that her family comes from. Even going to a market and the women who sold her the new beanie have her something extra. 

Growing up my cousins and sister would say that I did not look like anyone in my family, not my mother or sister but slightly like my dad. I looked in the mirror one morning and realized that part of what they said might be right and yet did it really matter. The next time they said that I responded it’s because I am just who I am, I AM ME!
Going to school she meets many children from diverse backgrounds. Someone asked if she was sisters. Her friend’s family is form Oakland, India and Kenya and another from Los Angeles  and Mexico. Playing together and arms linked. One the weekend she went to another family outside and they talked about her grandmother who was mestiza too. Responding to all their comments she said: her face has some of her dad, some of her mom and even some of her great great grandmother but her face is not like anyone else’s” I AM ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ME! Her parent’s decided to talk about the DNA test they took and how DNA are spiral shaped instruction books for the cells in their bodies What they learned will astound you when you read it yourself. Why are the roots of your family sacred? What does she finally learn about herself and her family at the end? 
We are all different and yet the same. Faces, arms, legs and other attributes that everyone has that are individual to you and no one else. Take a walk around the city where you live, take a walk around the block and see how many faces you recognize you see. Everyone is different, everyone is the same everyone is who they are! The authors bring to light with the colorful illustrations, the amazing family pictures and school events that one little girl says it exactly right: I AM ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ME! Someone asked me the other day who I looked like when I was growing up: ME! Lessons in family unity, love, understanding, differences and who you really are: JUST YOU! Whether you are from a mixed race or multi- raced or bilingual family , you are unique, special and can learn about your heritage, understand DNA but always know you like me are 100 percent you!

Fran Lewis: Just reviews