Description: "An affirmation for Asian American youth." --Kirkus Reviews You are . . . You are . . . You are . . . Every child is bursting with amazing things! This joyful picture book celebrates the wonderful and complex identities of children of immigrants and refugees. Through poetic text, acclaimed author Bao Phi (Hello, Mandarin Duck!, A Different Pond) empowers readers to embrace all that they are--a dancer, a shining light, a K-pop song--and promises them, "You are not invisible." Alongside vibrant, collage-style artwork, this inspiring read-aloud bursts with humor, passion, and heart. It reminds young readers who they are and what they love will always be enough--a timely message for young and old alike. You Are Life features: - An author's note from Caldecott Honor Book author Bao Phi about the origins of this poem, particularly the rise in anti-Asian American violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. - Critical social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, including empathy, understanding, and recognizing one's own value. - An explanation of Vietnamese terms used within the book.
Brief description: Bao Phi was born in Vietnam and raised in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis. He is an author, a poet, a community organizer, and a father.
Review Quotes: An affirmation for Asian American youth. Scenes of outstretched hands reaching for one another and an Asian parent gardening with a child greet readers. "You are life," opens the poem, going on to add, "You are not a virus. / You are a seed. When you were born, / you saved me." Above an apartment window, an expectant couple waits in anticipation as the text reads, "You are not forever foreign. / You are Immigrant. / Born here. / Adopted. / Refugee, you fled a war." Li layers lines, blocks, and shapes of colors to create eye-popping fields filled with noodles, onigiri, and children. After touching on a myriad of interests and cultural references, the tone becomes more rousing, challenging model minority stereotypes and insisting that "You are not invisible. / You are not silent. / You are hand-painted signs, / people marching together in the street / for a more just world." The paths paved by ancestors are also acknowledged. As Phi discusses the silly, the funny, the serious, and the inspiring, the overarching, stirring message is that the possibilities for the future are endless. In an author's note, Phi reveals the verses were written in response to the recent rise of anti-Asian hate. Asian children take center stage, and Vietnamese is incorporated in the poem; kids of other ethnic backgrounds are also depicted, and characters vary in terms of ability. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sweet and empowering poem. (Poetry. 4-8)-- "Kirkus Reviews"