I Am Perfectly Designed

by Karamo Brown, Jason "Rachel" Brown, Anoosha Syed (Illustrator)

I Am Perfectly Designed is an exuberant celebration of loving who you are, exactly as you are. A boy and his father take a walk through the city, sharing memories, and discovering all the ways in which they are perfectly designed for each other and to be themselves.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Childrens, LGBT, Love, Fiction, Self Esteem

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2019

About the author

Karamo Brown is an American television host, reality television personality, psychotherapist, and activist. Brown began his career in 2004 on the MTV reality show The Real World: Philadelphia. He currently stars as the culture expert in the Netflix series Queer Eye.

Reviews

[Carrie]

End made cry because I'm a sap.

[Ana Maria]

Una conmovedora historia de padre y hijo que se puede reflejar no solo en esa relación.

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship]

A father and son walk around New York City remembering all the fun they've had, the text is a conversation between the two.

You are perfectly designed doesn't mean much to me here as a reader and I have doubts it will mean much to a child. It isn't really explored or explained and just comes across as more of an empty platitude. Also it leads to the obvious question...designed by who and for what purpose?

It is a sweet book, but I'm growing very tired of books that are a lot of talking and no story and I didn't think the message was as strong as it could have been.

[Moonkiszt]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

A charming book written by a father / son team with illustrations that perfectly support this love letter of encouragement and infusion of confidence. We are all perfectly designed, and when we work at loving and accepting our family groups as they are, love is a perfection all of its own.

There was a happy glow in my groups as we ended this book. It was perfectly designed for our read today.

[Leah]

Lovely sentiment, poor execution.

[Ariel Jensen]

Not really unique or memorable, though I appreciate the positive father figures portrayed throughout the book.

[Kyle]

A great book celebrating the wonderful bond of father and son. Smooth, delightful read aloud book.

[Danni Green]

I thoroughly adored this sweet book! It’s presented as a dialogue between a Black parent and child, going about their daily lives, remembering loving moments throughout their lives together, talking to each other about their relationship and their affection for one another. The illustrations are rich and vibrant, illuminating the love and tenderness the two characters share and the centrality they each hold in the other’s existence. Absolutely gorgeous.

(I definitely read this book in 2019 the minute it came out, but somehow forgot to review it then. I loved it so much that when I realized it was missing from my list, I got it from the library and enjoyed it all over again!)

[Mel]

What an amazing father son duo! This is a picture book where the father really uplifts his son and talks about how he is perfectly designed. Full of heartfelt illustrations, both father and son go down memory lane and it's just a beautiful thing to see.

My son absolutely adores this book and I loved seeing his face light up as I read it to him.

[Jordan Pierre]

This book displays the relationship a father builds with his young son. From Halloween celebrations to long walks in the park, this story is told from the eyes of a young man who has his inspirations & goals set on his shoulders with a little bit of help from a loving dad. This is a commonly communicated subject, that is the idea of loving yourself & that we are all different. Even though that may be the case, we need books like these to continuely remind us of that.

[Re •]

It was perfect and stunning and I cried at every page I love it so much

[Jamie]

4.5

This was really cute. Beautiful illustrations and a great message. I was expecting it to rhyme or something? I think the writing lacked just a little in timing.

[Morgan]

A wonderful book with great messaging and beautiful art. Perfect for kids.

[Jordan Morgan]

For this book, I feel like there are a couple different ways it can be interrupted, but I see it from a single parent's perspective. This father and son appear to have an incredible relationship and bond with one another. Spending time remembering their first memories with one another from when the boy was young and as he is growing up. The illustrations show them in memories and walking around town surrounded by a variety of people and families. Then there are just these too, loving life together. They seem to make the most of their time together no matter what their past or history might have been like for them. Going out and making memories wherever they can from the zoo, to matching halloween costumes, to comfort in mad, sad, or confusing times. His dad is his whole world and his son is his! Families do not always look the same; some have a mom and dad, two moms or two dads, or a single parent household. This would be great to be able to read to my students and talk about this side of things, especially knowing my class. There is not only a difference in household, but how there should be an open mindedness when seeing or hearing about different households, and how to address or talk about it.
Then there comes a point when they start to talk about the future and what it might be like when the boy leaves. The dad will then be “alone” and I pick up on the boy's concern or worries. As kids grow up and move on with their lives and start to move out, the parents are then left “alone”. Such a large part of their world for the last 18+ years has had a kid and now they are turning into an adult and branching out into the world. However, when this kid might leave, he worries about his dad's happiness and will still think about him. It is such a touching story about how a father son bond will never be broken because they are “perfectly designed for each other”

[Teonna Taylor]

My heart burst with pride, joy, and excitement reading this book. A Black father and son recount some of their favorite memories and moments as they walk throughout the city. This story begins with the son telling his father "When you first saw me, you said 'He is perfectly designed, from his head to his toes." They both, then, begin to retell their favorite father son moments from the son being a baby to the son's present age.

I am enamored by and appreciate this book because of the loving relationship between this Black father and son. The father helps guide and teach his son throughout their time together. I appreciated the father telling his son" And I remind you that you are perfectly designed and wonderful. No matter what you're feeling." I loved this! Black boys and men are often portrayed as, taught to, or criticized for showing their emotions. Therefore, Black men and boys need to be shown how to and allowed to have and experience all of their emotions. Rreading this short yet simple book was affirming.

I also loved the illustrations. The pictures were vivid and detailed. I appreciated seeing characters of various shades, ages, and clothing within the pictures.

[Anna W.]

A great read for any small child. “I am perfectly designed” is what the young narrator learns about himself from his father. Even if his head is kind of big, or he has angry or sad feelings, he is still perfectly designed.

The book shows many aspects of culture—there is a woman wearing a hijab, another wearing a “feminist” worded shirt, biracial couples, gay couples, etc.—in the background of many pages. (Visits to the park, street sidewalks, etc.)

I also love that the narrator seems to live alone with his father, which is a great representation for young readers in single parent homes.

The one aspect missing from this book are any disabled peoples. There is an older person walking with a cane, but no children perfectly designed in their wheelchairs, or middle aged persons with prosthetics, just as examples. I feel this inclusion would have taken the book to a 5 for me.

[Elizabeth]

A sweet book -- though it can be difficult to follow who is speaking (the child's voice is in plain text, and the father's in bold).

It's a wholesome story of affirmation featuring a single dad and a young son, both dark-skinned.

The illustrations are sweet and warm, and depict a diverse community.

I often have a little bit of discomfort with "you're perfect just the way you are" kinds of messages, since there are trans kids who are gonna wanna modify their bodies and that is OKAY (plus the ways in which we all modify our bodies; and the tension around disability -- like, yes, many people are disabled by a society that is not designed for them, but also, bodies with chronic pain or diabetes or even just that need eyeglasses are not perfectly designed); and I have yet to figure out how to balance that tension.

Some reviewers also noted the book's explicit affirmation of the boy's feelings -- that he can feel mad, or sad, or confused, and his dad will wrap him in his arms and "remind [him] that [he is] perfectly designed and wonderful. No matter what [he's] feeling." As a white woman, I had kind of glossed over that, not thinking about the fact that, "Black boys and men are often portrayed as, taught to, or criticized for showing their emotions," so this is particularly powerful.

[Aolund]

This book is simultaneously so lovely, sweet, and beautifully illustrated AND a bit difficult for reading aloud! Because it is written in two voices, with the child's voice written in un-bolded font and the dad's voice in bolded font, it really presents a challenge for comprehension if you don't get the way the two voices are differentiated, though a skillful reader could do different voices to make sure the different speakers are clear to a child listener.

Themes: Love, Family, Be Yourself
Age range: 2-6

[Kaylee Mouser]

Karmaro and his son reminisce on old times. They remember the loving times they have shared and they bond over these memories. The father reminds his son that he is perfectly designed and wonderful no matter what he is feeling. You can see the happiness in these illustrations, they use vibrant colors and great expression. The book ends with the son saying they are “perfectly designed for each other”. It shows how strong the bond is between them and the significance they play in each other's life. This was a very heartwarming story.

[Shay Vande]

I LOVED the art style of the illustrations in this book. The colors are so vibrant, yet cozy. This is a sweet, commemorative piece by the author of his good memories and positive life lessons learned from his relationship with his father. The book is very wholesome and encouraging to readers to have self-love and represents a beautiful bond between parent and child.

This would be a fantastic read for father's day.

[Julie]

There are too few books featuring dads and sons which are also diverse and inclusionary. This book celebrates how we are each perfectly designed the way we are. And... it showcases the bond between dads and sons.

[June]

A African American father and son converse about their love for each other and their memories of each other.

A loving story of a father and son spending a day together. It is only on the flaps of the book cover that there is mention of Karamo Brown as star of Netflix's Queer Eye (front) and how he made history in 2004 as the first openly gay African American reality TV star (back).

[Dimity Powell]

Undeniably a beautiful tribute to fathers and sons, I Am Perfectly Designed also celebrates individuality and the paths of self-discovery making it suitable to share in any family dynamic.

Read my full review at DIM'S re VIEWS: http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com/p/...

[Rebecca]

5

5 stars
one thing that would’ve been nice to see in this book is disabled people or even parents, in the crowds of people in the background. I did like how the illustrator showed diverse families, couples, and friends throughout this magnificent book!

[Nathalie]

In this world where many of our precious babies will at some point encounter much negativity, this book by beloved Karamo Brown is a welcomed addition to helping our children navigate this era and discover or recover self worth and how much they are loved by their families.

[Cindy]

A love letter from a father to his son . . . a son perfectly designed to fill his father's life with love. The illustrations are so sweet.

Read for me by Karamo Brown in the NetFlix series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices

[Nate A]

Can't wait to read this to my kids someday. The book as a whole -- illustrations and all -- come straight from the world I want to live in. The only way it could be improved would be with disability inclusion in the illustrations.

[Lannie]

Diverse, inclusive, this book is a love letter between a father and son, freely and lovingly expressing their love for each other, free from societal pressures, toxic masculinity, and shame. Recommend this sweet sweet books for little boys and their dads.

[Michelle Farella]

Very touching father-son book. It had very diverse background characters which was awesome to see!

[Amber]

Such a good message for little ones to read about.