Overview

""When the sun paints the sky pink and orange and blue, with its light that is brilliant and clear, I say, I want to make the world beautiful too, and the sun says, that's why you are here."" Follow an inquisitive little girl on a camping trip as she explores nature and discovers the amazing worlds within her. The sun, stars, rivers, and trees serve as mirrors, reflecting back her limitless possibilities. Written from a child's perspective, each rhythmic refrain is a beautiful invitation to self-confidence and an exploration of all you can become. Brilliant pencil and watercolor illustrations pair with whimsical rhymes to invite young readers to see the wonders around them and the miracles inside. It's an empowering bedtime read for children ages 5 to 9.

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9781970147469

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Reviews

Poetic language knits together this uplifting picture book, which follows a black-haired, brown-skinned narrator who finds strength in nature and pride in their identity. Sensory and figurative language by Clark, relayed in elegant rhymes, shows how the child relates to their surroundings: I am bold as the river that makes its own way, / I am huge as the high mountain peaks./ Like the sun, I bring color and light to the day, / but there's still more than that inside me. Bold washes of watercolor by Carlin bleed across pages as colored pencil detailing adds fluid figures, flora, and fauna, conjuring a dreamlike, amorphous quality that reflects the narrator's limitless potential. While the sheer number of abstract images may lose the interest of younger readers, adults may find this affirmative book useful in helping children consider their relationships with nature. Ages 5-9. -- Publishers Weekly A young child's affirmation of their potential in the world. On the opening spread, a parent drives a well-packed car along a road at twilight, with two children in the back seat. The following spread zooms in to show the elder one, a kid with brown skin and black hair pulled into a puffball, peering up at the moon. Rhyming stanzas capture the child's recognition of aspects of them self in the world--bright as the moon in the night sky, loud as the waves at the shore, looking up at the sky like the flowers in the field. But, they say, that still isn't all that I am. Carlin's evocative, often impressionistic illustrations embed the child in the natural world, depicting them towering next to giant evergreens, tiny as the bunnies in their underground den, silhouetted in a tent during a storm. Carlin centers the child's experience by painting them in color, with other family members in monotone. In fact, the palette of brilliant greens, luminous yellows, deep dark blues, striking grays, and more invite repeat viewings of each spread. Clark's stanzas tumble along in a gentle yet powerful rhythm that begs to be read aloud slowly and savored. As the child comes to understand this elemental self, they also realize that they are yet to be--still moving along the journey of their life. A beautifully illustrated poem that speaks of every child's complex, imaginative character. -- Kirkus

Poetic language knits together this uplifting picture book, which follows a black-haired, brown-skinned narrator who finds strength in nature and pride in their identity. Sensory and figurative language by Clark, relayed in elegant rhymes, shows how the child relates to their surroundings: I am bold as the river that makes its own way, / I am huge as the high mountain peaks./ Like the sun, I bring color and light to the day, / but there's still more than that inside me. Bold washes of watercolor by Carlin bleed across pages as colored pencil detailing adds fluid figures, flora, and fauna, conjuring a dreamlike, amorphous quality that reflects the narrator's limitless potential. While the sheer number of abstract images may lose the interest of younger readers, adults may find this affirmative book useful in helping children consider their relationships with nature. Ages 5-9. -- Publishers Weekly A young child's affirmation of their potential in the world. On the opening spread, a parent drives a well-packed car along a road at twilight, with two children in the back seat. The following spread zooms in to show the elder one, a kid with brown skin and black hair pulled into a puffball, peering up at the moon. Rhyming stanzas capture the child's recognition of aspects of them self in the world--bright as the moon in the night sky, loud as the waves at the shore, looking up at the sky like the flowers in the field. But, they say, that still isn't all that I am. Carlin's evocative, often impressionistic illustrations embed the child in the natural world, depicting them towering next to giant evergreens, tiny as the bunnies in their underground den, silhouetted in a tent during a storm. Carlin centers the child's experience by painting them in color, with other family members in monotone. In fact, the palette of brilliant greens, luminous yellows, deep dark blues, striking grays, and more invite repeat viewings of each spread. Clark's stanzas tumble along in a gentle yet powerful rhythm that begs to be read aloud slowly and savored. As the child comes to understand this elemental self, they also realize that they are yet to be--still moving along the journey of their life. A beautifully illustrated poem that speaks of every child's complex, imaginative character. -- Kirkus

Author Information

M.H. Clark is a poet and writer who has received multiple awards, including the Washington State Book Award and two Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. She has traveled the world and lived in many wonderful places--but she believes she belongs most of all in a little house with a large library, someplace where the forest meets the sea. Laura Carlin is an award-winning, London-based illustrator and ceramicist. Her awards include the Bratislava children's book illustration award, the Quentin Blake Award, and the National Magazine Award. Laura's work has also been featured in publications like Vogue, the New Scientist, the Guardian, the Observer, the Sunday Telegraph, and the Independent.

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