My Favorite Thing (According to Alberta)

picture book; illustrations by Anna Laura Cantone; S&S/Anne Schwartz, 2004

Alberta is a girl with particular tastes.

Big dogs: no. Small dogs: yes. Grapefruits: no.

Gummy candies: yes. Her favorite color is orange. Her favorite ice cream is peppermint. Her favorite vegetable is potato chip.

But none of these is her favorite thing of all. What could it be, then, her favorite thing?

It's certainly not toothpaste, and it's certainly not baby dolls. But could it be boats? Or baths? Or a cat named Neptune? Wait and see.

"What you like and who you are, those are two different things," says Alberta. "But they are not so very different, actually."

What People Say about My Favorite Thing:

"There's no reason a self-esteem-boosting picture book has to be deadly earnest, as this playful guessing game shows ...an idiosyncratic rundown, depicted in humorously manic mixed-media cartoons, of Alberta's likes and dislikes...She loves herself best of all, of course, and after getting to know her in such an entertaining fashion, it's easy to see why."

          —The Horn Book Magazine

"Rib-tickling...If you want to develop your child's sense of humor, My Favorite Thing is bound to be a favorite."

          — Bookpage