Free To Be You and Me: 35th Anniversary Edition    by Marlo Thomas & and friends Order:  USA  Can Running Press, 2008 (1973) Hardcover, Softcover, Audio Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Michelle York Some things never go out of style. A great book is one of them. A New York Times bestselling children's book, Free To Be You and Me by Marlo Thomas and friends, has been published in a special 35th anniversary edition. This collection of stories, songs and poems are just as relevant and enjoyable today as they were in the mid-1970s. Many illustrations are new too. Thomas brainstormed the original book after reading some traditional bedtime stories to her niece – the kind where the girl characters are all princesses. Thomas didn't want her niece to grow up thinking she had to be That Girl. So Thomas and a group of friends (that includes Judy Blume and Shel Silverstein) came up with a collection of delightful readings to help children expand their own identities. Consider these two lines Silverstein's poem, Helping: 'Agatha Fry made a pie, and Christopher John helped bake it. Christopher John he mowed the lawn, and Agatha Fry helped rake it.' It's a sweet, subtle message that breaks up traditional gender roles. The book is filled with messages like that. Today we have more diversity and tolerance than ever before. But if we were to think that stories like these are no longer relevant, well, that would just be a fairy tale. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews