Freckleface Strawberry

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore, illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Yes, this is written by the actress Julianne Moore, but don't judge it harshly because of that.

There once was a seven-year-old girl who loved to ride bikes and had lots of friends, but she was ashamed of her freckles.  People mentioned them all the time, and they made her different than the other kids.  She tried to remove them, but nothing worked.  Then she covered her entire body and face and no one talked about her freckles!  But they didn't talk to her either, because they didn't recognize her.  Lonely, hot and sad, she finally finds that she likes living with her freckles better than being plain and alone.

Perhaps I like this book because I am head to toe freckles and moles.  My kids say I am polka-dotted.  I never tried the lemon juice route, because my equally freckled mother informed me that nothing she ever tried worked! 

The illustrations have a vintage feel with a lot of pizzazz and charm.  The opening page of Freckleface grinning out at the reader is a winning way for the book to begin.  I also love the fact that her freckles are not just charmingly dotted on her cheeks, but extend to her legs and arms.  This is a great way to talk to children about being different, because no matter how homogeneous a group you are dealing with, we are all different and have things we fret about.  Some of us are chubby, some tall, some short, etc. 

Recommended as a way to start discussions about being different, this book is appropriate for ages 4-6.