Review Detail

Lina is helping her mom collect recyclable items to sell when she stumbles upon a wall of graffiti that says ÚNICO COMO TÚ, UNIQUE LIKE YOU. Lina is now on a journey through Bogotá, Colombia, to discover what makes others unique and what makes her unique.

What I Liked: This book opens by explaining that Lina, her mama, and their donkey are looking for recyclables, which they refer to as treasures. It’s fascinating to see the various items that Lina and her mom think of as treasures and see how they are being used throughout this book. The message of this book is two-fold, as it teaches children that everyone is unique in their own ways, and also the importance of recycling.

The illustrations throughout this book do a fantastic job of taking you straight into the streets of Bogotá to show you what everyday life is like for various individuals. This book does a great job of making a chore fun as Lina encounters different people and learns about what makes them unique. She encounters an artist, a baker, people helping each other, and a brave person performing on a unicycle which all make her think about what it is that makes her unique. Each of these scenes adds to the story as we not only find what makes others unique, but we also see Lina’s mom collecting various recyclables and then using them to help others, such as selling the cans to the artist or Lina giving a sweater to a man who needed it.

Final Verdict: Unique Like You is a colorful and whimsical story that incorporates Spanish vocabulary throughout and immerses you in the streets of Bogotá, encouraging you to approach the world with curiosity. Children ages 3 and up will delight in the colorful illustrations throughout this book that tie together the story. They will also enjoy the message and looking to find what makes them unique, especially as this book goes beyond superficial things such as eye color or hair texture.