The Way I Act

A companion to Cain s award-winning 2000 title, The Way I Feel, The Way I Act uses detailed illustrations, type faces and vivid color to complement the simple verses that explain character traits like compassion and bravery. With verses created by Metzger, The Way I Act follows the pattern established by The Way I Feel, introducing a wide variety of character traits, including some not usually attributed to young children. Metzger s carefully crafted text is sensitive and free of bias and slang. Together with Cain s sometimes zany characters, The Way I Act shows scenarios that kids can identify with peering at bugs with a magnifying glass, making a bed, finishing a puzzle, sweeping up a mess. The text cites even more examples that define words such as curious, responsible, persistent and capable. As Metzger points out, the scenarios on each two-page spread let kids imagine how they might act on a curlicue slide, when meeting new children, when an elderly grandparent needs help. Chicago-based Cain made her debut with The Way I Feel, now available in Spanish as Así me siento yo, and as a board book. In print: almost 1.5 million copies. She is also the author of Roonie B. Moonie (Illumination Arts) . Metzger, an executive with Scholastic Inc., has written more than 60 books for preschoolers, most published by Scholastic.