We Are Here (All Because You Matter #2)
by Tami Charles (Author) Bryan Collier (Illustrator)
An empowering follow-up to New York Times bestselling picture book All Because You Matter that celebrates the rich history of Black and brown men and women throughout history with soaring language and stunning illustration.
Lyrical, affirmational, and bursting with love, We Are Here is a poignant story about Black and brown heritage and community. Full of assurance, tenderness, and triumph, this much-anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling picture book All Because You Matter offers an equally inspirational and arresting ode to all of the Black women and men throughout history who have made momentous contributions from the beginning of time.
Tami Charles shares the beauty and excellence in the history of the Black community, assuring Black and brown children of the extraordinary legacy from which they come. Charles's powerful and empowering text is accompanied with illustrations by renowned artist Bryan Collier, a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient and a nine-time Coretta Scott King Award winner or honoree. We Are Here celebrates readers with pride, joy, and love, reminding them of their roots, inviting readers to imagine a future that shines ever bright, and strengthening them for their triumphant days to come!
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Kirkus Reviews
A powerful narrative about Black yesterdays that have built the foundation for all our tomorrows.
Publishers Weekly
In this follow-up to All Because You Matter, collaborators Charles and Collier meld pithy, free-verse lines and saturated illustrations to form an empowering treatise that celebrates the Black diaspora across time and space. Attending images of a Black child whose pigtail puffs are shown as holding elements of the universe, early lines focus on individual promise ("We are the seeds,/ you and me") contextualized against history ("From brick and grit,/ we built this place"). Subsequent pages visualize Black figures--including Martin Luther King Jr., Marian Anderson, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters--taking part in activism, fashion, food production, and music: "We are intercontinental,/ can't you see?.../ Trend-setters,/ Go-getters,.../ multidialectal,/ oh-so-intellectual." Stunning watercolor and collage art--inspired, per a creator's note, by a John Biggers painting of shotgun houses--juxtaposes the structures and other patterned elements to create a shining, surreal dimensionality that supports the book's affirming conceit: "We are fearless, more than we know... Because you and me have always been heroes." Back matter includes creators' notes, and contextualizes figures and contributions discussed. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Praise for We Are Here:
A stunning ode to legacies built from the past and those yet to come. — Jacqueline Woodson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (2018-2019)
Praise for All Because You Matter:
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
The #1 Amazon Best Children's Book of 2020
A Best Picture Book of 2020, Chicago Public Library
Barnes & Noble Best Picture Book of 2020
Best Books of 2020 by School Library Journal
Best Books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews
Best Children's & Teen Books of 2020 by Shelf Awareness
100 Best Books for Kids by NYPL
Best Book of 2020 by NPR
TODAY Favorite Children's Book of 2020
An ALA Notable Children's Book 2021
B&N Children's Book Prize of the Year Nomination
Winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text
* "A gem for every household." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "A richly illustrated affirmation for Black children — especially boys... Stunning. Powerful. Timely. Illustrated inspiration at its best." — Horn Book, starred review
* " 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." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
"All Because You Matter is a powerful, poetic manifesto that is required reading for every family in America." — BookPage
"A powerful tale in a broken world, this will give children hope and parents comfort... a very timely story and a wonderful addition to school and public libraries." — School Library Journal
"A title sure to be frequented by not only Black children but any child looking for a kind word and confidence boost." — Booklist
Praise for Muted:
* "Heart-racing... [a] taut and gritty read." — Booklist, starred review
* "Charles's heartbreaking novel in verse shows the harsh realities of the music industry." — School Library Journal, starred review
"Catapults [readers] toward a breathless, satisfying conclusion." — The Horn Book
Praise for Like Vanessa, by Tami Charles:
* "Readers of all ages and backgrounds will cheer Vanessa on and see themselves in her story. This debut is a treasure: a gift to every middle school girl who ever felt unpretty, unloved, and trapped by her circumstances." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Superb." — Booklist, starred review
* "Like Vanessa is an emotionally potent, engaging young adult story with a heroine whom it is impossible not to root for. The life lessons that Nessy learns are relevant and worthwhile for everyone." — Foreword Reviews, starred review
"Charles's debut novel dexterously interlaces pathos and humor and introduces a refreshing new voice." — Publishers Weekly
Praise for Trombone Shorty, illustrated by Bryan Collier:
2016 Caldecott Honor Book
Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Award Winner
* "This well-told and exquisitely illustrated story of a musician with a steep career trajectory will inspire young readers to pursue their passions, despite the challenges." — Kirkus Reviews starred review
Praise for Knock Knock, illustrated by Bryan Collier:
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner
Huffington Post Best Picture Book of the Year
ALSC Notable Children's Book
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Picture Book Honor
Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Books of the Year
"Bryan Collier's richly textured illustrations and the lyricism of Beaty's text — with its echoes of spoken-word poetry — make this story of bereavement also a story of possibility and beauty." — The New York Times Sunday Book Review
Praise for Martin's Big Words, illustrated by Bryan Collier:
Caldecott Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Honor Book
ALA Notable Children's Book
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
"A stunning, reverent tribute." — School Library Journal
"A courageous testimony, an anthem for our children...simply brilliant." — Kwame Alexander, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Door of No Return and An American Story
"This book is a gift, a powerful mirror for our children to see themselves in. Thank you, Tami Charles and Brian Collier." — Tatyana Ali, actress, director and producer
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
JUV026000 - Juvenile Fiction | Love & Romance
