Why Am I
Colleen McCarthy-Evans, Author
Sarah Dietz, Illustrator
Seven Seas Press, Fiction, Aug. 31, 2020
Suitable for ages: 3 -103
Themes: Love, Respect, Humans, Animals, Nature, Life, Inspirational
Opening: “Why Am I / Said the Boy to the Sky / You bring us great joy / Said the Sky to the Boy”
Amazon Synopsis:
Come along on a journey through a dreamy day in our amazing world, starting in the dewy dawn and ending with a dance by the light of the full moon. We’ll meet charming characters and learn about their purpose and preciousness, through fun and playful rhythm and rhyme. This joyful book is a meditation that reminds us that every person, animal and thing in the world has special qualities we can appreciate, value and love about them. And we are all so much more than we believe we are. For ages 3 to 103.
Why I like this book:
Colleen McCarthy-Evans’s Why Am I, is a captivating ode to the wonder and mystery of our world. “Why Am I” is a universal question that children and adults like to ask and ponder. The lyrical narrative reminds readers that nature, animals and human beings have qualities that we all love, appreciate and respect — from the joy of a child to a kiss from a mother; from the sweetness of a honeybee to cheerful chirp of a bird; and from the motion of the ocean to our trust in the galaxy. The language is easy for little ones to understand and yet appropriate for older children and adults. Readers will learn to love and respect themselves and the wonderful world they live in. This is a very timely picture book.
Why Am I is a perfect quiet time story that will encourage soul-searching conversations between children and parents. The book is a perfect blend of gentle words and Sarah Dietz’s inspiring and beautiful illustrations, which will capture readers imaginations.
The Spanish edition of the book, Por Que Soy / Why Am I, was published on November 9.
Resources: Make sure you read the Author’s Note at the end. The author has also created two pages of Discussion/Activities for parents and teachers to use to spark discussions. For example: Take a walk around your school or neighborhood and name a quality for each person, animal, tree, garden, and park that you see. There are so many ways to use this beautiful book.
Colleen McCarthy-Evans is an award-winning creator of books and board games for children and families. She is the author of The Little Blue Dragon. She’s a co-founder and former Director of Operations of the Santa Barbara Charter School (est. 1993), whose mission is to teach Conflict Resolution along with Academics and the Arts. She lives in Santa Barbara, California with her husband and dogs, loves to practice and teach yoga, and enjoys being in and out of the garden with her two grown sons, extended family and friends.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Review copy provided by the author in exchange for a review.
A lovely book. Nice to see it is in Spanish as well.
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Thank you, Darlene! And yes, we are so proud to offer the Spanish/English version too, Por Que Soy/Why Am I. It is truly a celebration of the Spanish language, and offers an authentic modern Mexican cultural interpretation of the original English poem in the book, which adds even more ways to see and appreciate our beautiful world around us! And thank you so much, Pat, for shining the light on Why Am I!
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Yes, you would love to see it in Spanish. It really is a very thought-provoking book for children. My favorite kind! Gorgeous illustrations!
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Dear Pat,
Thank you so very much for this beautiful review. I have posted it on FB and encourage readers to follow you and your blog.
We so appreciate your attention to the subtleties in the book and also mentioning the activities at the end. And also our lovely illustrator, Sarah Dietz, who did such a beautiful job of interpreting the words and the feeling I was hoping for! Thank you also for mentioning the bilingual book.
And the timing is just perfect for the holidays, and and opportunity for book sales as a result of this fantastic review!
Thank you so much, all of us at Seven Seas Press appreciate you so very deeply!
sincerely and with profound gratitude,
Colleen
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It was my pleasure to review and share your book. I love books that readers will be able to ponder. Some a big universal question for everyone! I wish you much luck with the sale of your book! It is a keeper for sure!
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Many thanks, Pat. We are all so touched by your words.
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Such a lovely and thoughtful book! And a beautiful review, Patricia! I’ll be adding this to my TBR list.
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Thank you for your kind words, Jilanne 🙂
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I am so pleased you enjoyed my review. I love quiet books that make readers think a little more deeply. Good bedtime book.
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Love the age range on this one. The messages put forth are perfect for our times. Hope it’s okay to get for my 104 year old aunt!
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Haha, yes, absolutely, Greg 🙂 Wow!
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Your 104-year-old aunt would love this book! It really is so meaningful and beautiful!
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I love your age range … PERFECT … because aren’t we always in search of self? Looks like another perfectly beautiful pick, my friend.
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We certainly are — at least I know you and I seem to seek stories like this out! Thank you for your kind words!
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Thank you for the thoughtful comment, Barbara. I hope you enjoy the read. 🙂
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Patricia, you found a treasure. I look forward to reading this and sharing it with my family. Thank you for a wonderful review.
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I am pleased you enjoyed Why Am I. It really is an inspiring book for children and parents to read together. Beautiful artwork!
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Thank you for this lovely comment, Maria. I hope you will enjoy this offering.
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What a lovely quiet and inspiring book! Thank you for introducing me to it.
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Yes, it is a lovely quiet book — perfect for bedtime. I would love to listen to the conversations this book will inspire!
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Thank you for the positive response to the book, Andrea. I hope you will enjoy it!
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I love the sound of this book. The age range is wonderful too. Thanks for sharing, Patricia.
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Yes, I think you would enjoy this book! You’d find so many ways to use it!
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Sounds perfect.
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So happy to hear your response to the book, Norah. I hope you enjoy it.
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This looks lovely, and such an important reminder of the special qualities everyone has.
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Empowering book! Thanks for your comments.
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Thank you for this kind response. I hope you enjoy it.
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Pingback: Beautiful and Insightful Review of Why Am I from Patricia Tilton at Children's Books Heal - Seven Seas Press
This books sounds so sweet and wonderful, oh my goodness. I love things that make me look at life in a more thoughtful and beautiful way. Simple joys and love go unnoticed many times and I’m glad this is bringing it up to the light!
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This is an excellent gift book. Yes, I like books that make kids and parents think about big topics. Thanks for stopping! Took the last two weeks off.
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Of course! I love your blog 🙂 I took the last five months off haha 🙂
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I took two weeks off over the holidays. You’re in school and have a lot more on your plate and need to focus on other things! 🙂
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