I Tell Myself I'm Awesome

By Author / Illustrator

Joshua Seigal, illus Chris Piascik

Genre

Poetry

Age range(s)

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN

9781801997904

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

26-02-2026

Synopsis

A delightfully uplifting new collection of children's poetry from Joshua Seigal, winner of the 2020 and 2023 Laugh Out Loud Book Awards and 2024 Reading Rocks Award.

Whether you are in the mood for something hilariously silly or sentimental, this new collection of witty, reflective, and rather ridiculous poems will lift your mood, spark your imagination, and give your mental health a little boost! Joshua Seigal's verses will have you pondering life's big (and small) questions as you encounter a waxy pet lemon, spicy jalapenos and a valiant dog who proves that even the smallest of us can be heroes. This book is a must-have for imaginative young readers and aspiring poets aged 7+.

Joshua Seigal is a two-time-winner of the Laugh Out Loud awards (also known as the Lollies) in 2020 with I Bet I Can Make You Laugh and in 2023 with Yapping Away. Joshua won the People's Book Prize in 2022, and his poetry collection Who Let the Words Out? also won the 2024 Reading Rocks award in the Lower Key Stage Two category in 2024.

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Reviews

Tina

I Tell Myself I'm Awesome is a perfect book for those days when all is not quite right with the world. This collection of poems address all of those big feelings; there are poems to make you laugh, poems to make you cry, poems to spark a debate and others to consider quietly over time. Dipping in and out, I realised that my favourite poem each read changed depending on my mood.

The range of topics covered, the wide variety of language and vocabulary used makes these poems highly readable and extremely enjoyable. 'The Welcome' at the start explains that the poems are written for all of us at many different times. Seigal achieves this aim brilliantly. The topics are accessible and the feelings recognisable. 'Play Date' is funny, 'Ponky Woem' is wonderfully silly whilst 'The Pets of Ukraine' is thought-provoking.

I thoroughly recommend these poems to young readers, their parents and their teachers. There is something here for everyone and everyone is welcome.

112 pages / Reviewed by Tina Derry, teacher

Sue

In I Tell Myself I'm Awesome, Joshua Seigal presents another brilliant collection, offering his usual mix of humorous, joyful, poignant and provoking poems for everyone to enjoy. T

he book is bursting with poems to share, to perform, to enjoy with a friend or to enjoy alone. Many could be used as models to inspire children to create their own works, encouraging them to express their emotions when they are feeling anything but 'awesome'.

There are also poems here which are just funny, sparking a smile and lifting a mood. As a teacher, I was instantly drawn to 'Waiting for Lunch' and 'Teachers are Human Too', showing how poems can make you grin and brighten your day at any age! 'Ten Reasons Why I Shouldn't Go to Bed' is great fun - and perfect for inspiring children to create their own 'Ten Reasons' poems for why they shouldn't go to bed, why they shouldn't have to do homework, why they shouldn't have to walk the dog . . . whatever takes their fancy! The same could be said for 'I Can't Read Because . . .' which uses alliterative excuses!

There is plenty of word play included here, showing how much fun can be had with words. 'Ponky Woem' and 'A Chef's Request' are great examples of this, contrasting with more poignant and thought-provoking pieces such as 'The Kiss' and 'As Scared as Me'. Others would make excellent performance pieces - 'Catting Around' and 'Spicy Mind'.

One of my favourites from this collection is 'If'. Not only is this a lovely poem to read, but it offers a great way of getting children to consider all the things they like about a friend or family member - or even themselves! 'I Tell Myself I'm Awesome' is a must have for teachers and families!

112 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher