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Summary
Summary
Instant New York Times bestseller!
A lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and brown children everywhere: reminding them how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will, from powerhouse rising star author Tami Charles and esteemed, award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier.
The #1 Amazon Best Children's Book of 2020
A Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library's Best Books of 2020
A TODAY's Favorite Children's Books of 2020
A Shelf Awareness's Best Children's and Teen Books of 2020
A Best Books of 2020, School Library Journal
A Best Picture Books of 2020, Chicago Public Library
A NPR's Best Books of 2020
A Best Picture Books of 2020, Barnes and Noble
A Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2020
* "A gem for every household." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review
* "Stunning. Powerful. Timely. Illustrated inspiration at its best." -- Horn Book , starred review
Discover this poignant, timely, and emotionally stirring picture book, an ode to Black and brown children everywhere that is full of hope, assurance, and love.
Tami Charles pens a poetic, lyrical text that is part love letter, part anthem, assuring readers that they always have, and always will, matter. This powerful, rhythmic lullaby reassures readers that their matter and their worth is never diminished, no matter the circumstance: through the joy and wonder of their first steps and first laughs, through the hardship of adolescent struggles, and the pain and heartbreak of current events, they always have, and always will, matter. Accompanied by illustrations by renowned artist Bryan Collier, a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner or honoree, All Because You Matter empowers readers with pride, joy, and comfort, reminding them of their roots and strengthening them for the days to come.
Lyrical, personal, and full of love, All Because You Matter is for the picture book audience what The Hate U Give was for YA and Ghost Boys was for middle grade: a conversation starter, a community touchstone, and a deep affirmation of worth for the young readers who need it most.
Author Notes
Tami Charles is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including the picture book All Because You Matter and We Are Here (illustrated by Bryan Collier) and the novels Muted , Like Vanessa , and Becoming Beatriz . In her teens and early twenties, Tami enjoyed a taste of fame as a member of an all-girl R&B trio. They performed for Boyz II Men, BET, and Showtime at the Apollo , and had a one-hit wonder on the radio. After college, Tami worked as an educator for thirteen years before pursuing her childhood dream of becoming an author. For more information on Tami, visit tamiwrites.com
Bryan Collier loves to paint. He has successfully channeled his creative energy and love of art into an illustrious career as a children's book illustrator and writer. He began painting at the age of 15 and eventually landed a scholarship to attend Pratt Institute in New York. He has won four Caldecott Honors, five Coretta Scott King Awards and three Coretta Scott King Honors. His books include the Coretta Scott King Award and the Ezra Jack Keats Award winner, Uptown and We Shall Overcome . HIs is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller, All Because You Matter and We Are Here by Tami Charles.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Caldecott Honoree Collier's (Trombone Shorty) tender, close-up watercolor portraits of a growing Black boy give visual power to this celebration of young Black lives. In an author's note, Charles (Freedom Soup) writes about "The Big Talk"--words that every Black parent must speak to their child about discrimination and violence. Lyrical verse that aims to offer "a starting point for conversations about the racial climate in our country" underlines an important message: "you, dear child, matter." Beginning with his birth and a spread of the boy toddling into his mother's arms, text invokes his history and familial legacy: "you were dreamed of,/ like a knapsack/ full of wishes/ carried on the backs/ of your ancestors/ as they created/ empires,/ pyramids,/ legacies." As a schoolchild in a green T-shirt, he faces hurdles: academic efforts go unrewarded, classmates jeer, "another name is called:/ Trayvon,/ Tamir,/ Philando." Alongside these realities, Charles delivers a ringing affirmation of his life's meaning--"Did you know that... strength, power, and/ beauty lie within you?"--as Collier shows the boy straight on, surrounded by collaged images of his ancestry. Universal declarations are often illustrated with images of many children; this book's focus on a single child brings his experience and life--and the ways they matter--right up close. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
Horn Book Review
A richly illustrated affirmation for Black children -- especially boys. An African American expectant mother and father eagerly await the arrival of their child, embracing him even as he grows in utero. On the first double-page spread, a full moon appears, composed of overlapping petal shapes that form a tapestry, a quilt -- a visual motif that soon becomes colorful patterns and images of African American faces. The visuals throughout whisper of the family's African ancestry; the poetic text says, "You were dreamed of, like a knapsack full of wishes, carried on the backs of your ancestors as they created empires, pyramids, legacies." Charles employs the word matter effectively as both noun and verb, emphasizing that because this child is made up of matter from the universe, he matters. When the mother reads to her son in her lap, the text pays homage to Rudine Sims Bishop's framework, likening the book the pair is reading to a mirror in which the child can see the "same hair, same skin, same dreams." After touching on the racism that Black children face, this tribute announces its uplifting climax in Collier's loving illustrations of this brown-skinned child's face, boldly inviting the audience to see -- really see -- him in all his beauty. Stunning. Powerful. Timely. Illustrated inspiration at its best. Michelle H. Martin November/December 2020 p.68(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Two accomplished creators invite Black children to take up their spaces in the world. Charles' lyrical text addresses "you, dear child," in the voice of a loving caregiver, recounting how the world anticipated and prepared for the child's existence. The child was "dreamed of, / like a knapsack / full of wishes / carried on the backs / of your ancestors," who worked and built, "because to them, / you always mattered." The word "matter" is used in both ways: as a noun, as the child is made up of the same stuff that makes up the universe, and as a verb, because "strength, power and beauty / lie within," even though the world will sometimes make the child question whether "they, / or you, / will ever matter." The universe made room for "you, / your people, / their dreams, / your future," Charles assures the child. The protesters ("take a breath, / take a stand, / take a knee") and victims of racist violence ("Trayvon, / Tamir, / Philando") are mentioned explicitly without becoming the focus; the journey from beginning to end of the book sends a message that is nurturing, nourishing, loving, and reassuring, expanding and deepening the words of the movement it echoes. Collier's trademark paint-and-collage illustrations use petal shapes with patterns and faces, blue and brown hues, and family scenes and close-ups to embody the child's growth within affectionate circles of family, community, and universe. A gem for every household. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 5-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In an era where the worth of Black lives is constantly questioned, it only makes sense to affirm and reify the importance, necessity, and inheritance of Black children. That's exactly what this book does, reaching back to generations alive before we were born, reminding Black people that our very existence is the manifestation of our ancestors' dreams. Following the life of a young Black boy from his mother's pregnancy to birth and through childhood, this story is a reminder that even when the world says otherwise--Black lives matter. Beautifully textured collage illustrations reveal both the sacred and difficult moments of growing up Black, while lyrical poetry envelops readers in a soft cadence sure to lull the most active of young readers. Full of potential for use beyond its recommended years, this is a title sure to be frequented by not only Black children but any child looking for a kind word and confidence boost. A natural companion for Grace Byers' I Am Enough (2018) and Derrick Barnes' I Am Every Good Thing (2020).
