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All Because You Matter
All Because You Matter
A love letter to Black and brown children everywhere: reminding them how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will.
Tami Charles pens a text that is part love letter, part anthem, assuring readers that they always have, and always will, matter.
Tami Charles pens a text that is part love letter, part anthem, assuring readers that they always have, and always will, matter.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2020
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August 6, 2020
Say a phrase repeatedly and there is a very real danger that it will begin lose its initial power. When the words “Black Lives Matter” were first pronounced so loudly and clearly at the beginning of the wider movement, that power was there. Never before have so many considered the implications that rest on the word “matter”. Years passed, and now in 2020, as I write this review, you see the words of “Black Lives Matter” appearing in gigantic letters on streets, on face masks, on signs in yards, everywhere. Now look at that word “matter” one more time. If you’re a writer, what can you do with it? How can you play with it so that when you talk to a child about why they count and why they are essential, they get it? Tami Charles is not the first author of a picture book to talk about mattering and Black children, and she won’t be the last, but in her book All Because You Matter she fights to tell the words in an entirely new way. To do this, she steps back and thinks about the very matter of the universe itself. She conjures worlds and galaxies and then dives down deep into the reality of the moment in which kids today live. There are plenty of inspiring picture books out there for kids. Few understand their purpose as perfectly as this book does.
“They say that matter is all things that make up the universe: energy, stars, space . . . If that’s the case then you, dear child, matter.” A pregnant Black mother and her partner look down upon her belly. From there, multiple hands and multiple faces attest to the strength of ancestors that came before. The baby stands. It learns to walk. It reads books. And before you know it, the child is older. They’re dealing with ignorant schoolmates, and disappointments, and the things that are going on in the world that can’t just be off-handedly explained. And so the book circles back around again. Because the child reading this book matters and has always mattered, “and always will.”
Now the very first thing I had to determine, from the first page onward, was whether or not this was one of those picture books that seem ostensibly to be for children but, honestly, are actually for first-time parents so swept up in the marvel of what they’re about to embark on that they'll buy any picture book about having a baby. You’ve seen these books before. They tend to get handed out at baby showers and usually mean a lot more to the parents that receive them than, years later, to their kids. Does All Because You Matter fall into that category? Not really, and part of that has to do with the very important reason that this book is ACTUALLY written for kids. Written for the purpose of engaging them and encouraging them. That’s no accident. When you read the Author’s Note in the back, you realize that the purpose for which this book was created was, to a certain extent, to provide Black parents with a resource for when they need to give their kids “The Talk” about the realities of the world. “I wrote All Because You Matter to provide parents with a starting point for conversations about the racial climate in our country today.” Tami Charles then goes on to say that the book’s other purpose is to give children the framework on which to build their inner strength and understand the sacrifices of those that came before.
Another key factor in separating this book from the pack of well-meaning, if rather innocuous, self-esteem titles out there, is the way in which author Ms. Charles wraps music into her writing. Listen to these cadences. “… empires, pyramids, legacies.” And just a page turn later, “Building, inventing, working beneath red-hot suns and cold-blue moons…” I’d be the first to tell you that vapid inspirational texts put me to sleep faster than a mother’s lullaby. And Charles does hedge frighteningly close to pabulum, but never so far that she actually falls in. How does she avoid it? Partly, the credit goes to the subject matter. A book where the subject being praised is a Black boy isn’t really very common. I say this in the year 2020, and it’s true. I’ve no numbers before me, but decades of experience with picture books have taught me that while a White kid can’t throw a rock without hitting a book that will bend over backwards to tell them that they are all superstars. Meanwhile books encouraging Black girls have come out at a steady rate for a while now. Black boys? They're kept out of the loop. Remember three years ago when Crown: Ode To a Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes came out and swept the nation? That book was a rarity. All Because You Matter is also a rarity. One we’d like to see a lot more of.
You’ll notice I’m saying the book is directed to Black boys, but that’s not necessarily true. There are girls in this book as well. But for the most part, the kid in the images, anyway, is a specific boy. Collier has chosen to center the text on one child, and though we may get brief glimpses of other kids, he is the focus. It took me a little while to realize that the text itself never mentions boys or girls or any of that. It is directed to “you”. “You” are the kid in this book. It’s only when Mr. Collier got his hands on it that he made the logical next step and turned it into a book where boys, as this book itself says, really see themselves. “… same hair, same skin, same dreams.”
And make no mistake, Collier’s doing some of his best work here. One of my favorite images is from above, looking down on our hero, who is holding his head over a test paper of wrong answers. There’s so much to take in here. The tiny hairs on the back of the head. The perfect way Collier indicates three of the vertebra of the spine, just under the skin. The pattern of the carpet below, which somehow comes across as both industrial and mesmerizing. Now look at how you can see just the barest shadow from the window, and the difference between the carpet in shadow and in the light. It’s masterful to take in, once you really sit back and look. There is another moment, a couple of pages later, that had me flipping back and forth between them. On the left-hand page a boy’s eyes are closed, as the names “Trayvon, Tamir, Philandro” are listed. Turn the page and on the right-hand side is the same boy but his eyes are open. Look what the backgrounds are doing. How in the first spread the boy is before images of marchers in the street. How when his eyes are open that gray and blue and black background has erupted into a peacock’s tail of faces and people. Beautiful.
In his Illustrator’s Note, Collier mentions that his mother was a quilter. The petal images that he has cut out, mimic her quilt pieces. After all, aren’t they both variations on collage? I was reminded of the work of Ashley Bryan on more that one occasion. Like Collier, Bryan has played with the relationship between quilting and illustrating, even going so far as to cut his own pieces out with an old pair of his mother’s embroidery scissors. The link between quilt pieces and the ancestors that appear on them (Collier says that those are the faces you see on the petals) reminded me of Jacqueline Woodson’s Show Way, a story the draws a direct connection between craft and family history. And yet, for all that I mention this book in the same breath as these other two, there is nothing like All Because You Matter out there. It has carved out a niche for itself that only it could fill.
This isn’t the first year that I’ve seen picture books mention taking a knee or police brutality on their pages, but it is interesting to compare the ones that are being produced right now. In one image a boy sits next to his grandfather and the page reads, “Or the time when your Pop Pop / turns on the news, / and you see people everywhere / take a breath / take a stand, / take a knee.” This page in particular made me think that if you were to pair this book with Zetta Elliott’s A Place Inside of Me you might end up with a powerful pairing. And then there’s the science. You’ve probably seen picture books that declare that you, child reader, “are stardust”. You can say it all day but will a child comprehend what you mean? Tami Charles and Bryan Collier think so. Heck, they’re willing to bank on it. And with that tincture of science in its orbit, one can’t help but feel that, All Because You Matter would pair rather beautifully with The Stuff of Stars, which Ekua Holmes illustrated.
What this book manages to pull off is extraordinary. It’s global and universal. It drills down into everyday realities and then pulls back to encompass sheer galaxies. It’s taking a well-known phrase, turning it on its head, and handing it like a present to each and every child reader. Add in Bryan Collier’s art, going places he’s never taken it before, and you’ve got yourself a 2020 title that speaks to this moment and this time better than a book with ten times the word count could accomplish. Remembering, as we do, that you matter, this time we live in matters, and this book matters. It matters more than even we may yet know.
For ages 4-7.
“They say that matter is all things that make up the universe: energy, stars, space . . . If that’s the case then you, dear child, matter.” A pregnant Black mother and her partner look down upon her belly. From there, multiple hands and multiple faces attest to the strength of ancestors that came before. The baby stands. It learns to walk. It reads books. And before you know it, the child is older. They’re dealing with ignorant schoolmates, and disappointments, and the things that are going on in the world that can’t just be off-handedly explained. And so the book circles back around again. Because the child reading this book matters and has always mattered, “and always will.”
Now the very first thing I had to determine, from the first page onward, was whether or not this was one of those picture books that seem ostensibly to be for children but, honestly, are actually for first-time parents so swept up in the marvel of what they’re about to embark on that they'll buy any picture book about having a baby. You’ve seen these books before. They tend to get handed out at baby showers and usually mean a lot more to the parents that receive them than, years later, to their kids. Does All Because You Matter fall into that category? Not really, and part of that has to do with the very important reason that this book is ACTUALLY written for kids. Written for the purpose of engaging them and encouraging them. That’s no accident. When you read the Author’s Note in the back, you realize that the purpose for which this book was created was, to a certain extent, to provide Black parents with a resource for when they need to give their kids “The Talk” about the realities of the world. “I wrote All Because You Matter to provide parents with a starting point for conversations about the racial climate in our country today.” Tami Charles then goes on to say that the book’s other purpose is to give children the framework on which to build their inner strength and understand the sacrifices of those that came before.
Another key factor in separating this book from the pack of well-meaning, if rather innocuous, self-esteem titles out there, is the way in which author Ms. Charles wraps music into her writing. Listen to these cadences. “… empires, pyramids, legacies.” And just a page turn later, “Building, inventing, working beneath red-hot suns and cold-blue moons…” I’d be the first to tell you that vapid inspirational texts put me to sleep faster than a mother’s lullaby. And Charles does hedge frighteningly close to pabulum, but never so far that she actually falls in. How does she avoid it? Partly, the credit goes to the subject matter. A book where the subject being praised is a Black boy isn’t really very common. I say this in the year 2020, and it’s true. I’ve no numbers before me, but decades of experience with picture books have taught me that while a White kid can’t throw a rock without hitting a book that will bend over backwards to tell them that they are all superstars. Meanwhile books encouraging Black girls have come out at a steady rate for a while now. Black boys? They're kept out of the loop. Remember three years ago when Crown: Ode To a Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes came out and swept the nation? That book was a rarity. All Because You Matter is also a rarity. One we’d like to see a lot more of.
You’ll notice I’m saying the book is directed to Black boys, but that’s not necessarily true. There are girls in this book as well. But for the most part, the kid in the images, anyway, is a specific boy. Collier has chosen to center the text on one child, and though we may get brief glimpses of other kids, he is the focus. It took me a little while to realize that the text itself never mentions boys or girls or any of that. It is directed to “you”. “You” are the kid in this book. It’s only when Mr. Collier got his hands on it that he made the logical next step and turned it into a book where boys, as this book itself says, really see themselves. “… same hair, same skin, same dreams.”
And make no mistake, Collier’s doing some of his best work here. One of my favorite images is from above, looking down on our hero, who is holding his head over a test paper of wrong answers. There’s so much to take in here. The tiny hairs on the back of the head. The perfect way Collier indicates three of the vertebra of the spine, just under the skin. The pattern of the carpet below, which somehow comes across as both industrial and mesmerizing. Now look at how you can see just the barest shadow from the window, and the difference between the carpet in shadow and in the light. It’s masterful to take in, once you really sit back and look. There is another moment, a couple of pages later, that had me flipping back and forth between them. On the left-hand page a boy’s eyes are closed, as the names “Trayvon, Tamir, Philandro” are listed. Turn the page and on the right-hand side is the same boy but his eyes are open. Look what the backgrounds are doing. How in the first spread the boy is before images of marchers in the street. How when his eyes are open that gray and blue and black background has erupted into a peacock’s tail of faces and people. Beautiful.
In his Illustrator’s Note, Collier mentions that his mother was a quilter. The petal images that he has cut out, mimic her quilt pieces. After all, aren’t they both variations on collage? I was reminded of the work of Ashley Bryan on more that one occasion. Like Collier, Bryan has played with the relationship between quilting and illustrating, even going so far as to cut his own pieces out with an old pair of his mother’s embroidery scissors. The link between quilt pieces and the ancestors that appear on them (Collier says that those are the faces you see on the petals) reminded me of Jacqueline Woodson’s Show Way, a story the draws a direct connection between craft and family history. And yet, for all that I mention this book in the same breath as these other two, there is nothing like All Because You Matter out there. It has carved out a niche for itself that only it could fill.
This isn’t the first year that I’ve seen picture books mention taking a knee or police brutality on their pages, but it is interesting to compare the ones that are being produced right now. In one image a boy sits next to his grandfather and the page reads, “Or the time when your Pop Pop / turns on the news, / and you see people everywhere / take a breath / take a stand, / take a knee.” This page in particular made me think that if you were to pair this book with Zetta Elliott’s A Place Inside of Me you might end up with a powerful pairing. And then there’s the science. You’ve probably seen picture books that declare that you, child reader, “are stardust”. You can say it all day but will a child comprehend what you mean? Tami Charles and Bryan Collier think so. Heck, they’re willing to bank on it. And with that tincture of science in its orbit, one can’t help but feel that, All Because You Matter would pair rather beautifully with The Stuff of Stars, which Ekua Holmes illustrated.
What this book manages to pull off is extraordinary. It’s global and universal. It drills down into everyday realities and then pulls back to encompass sheer galaxies. It’s taking a well-known phrase, turning it on its head, and handing it like a present to each and every child reader. Add in Bryan Collier’s art, going places he’s never taken it before, and you’ve got yourself a 2020 title that speaks to this moment and this time better than a book with ten times the word count could accomplish. Remembering, as we do, that you matter, this time we live in matters, and this book matters. It matters more than even we may yet know.
For ages 4-7.
Read
October 12, 2020This book was beautiful. The words were lyrical and the illustrations belong in an art museum. I’m buying a copy for every child in my family. I want them to see themselves in the pages of this whimsically validating book.
February 2, 2021
Sometimes picture books are absolutely gorgeous, yet feel like they are aimed more at parents/families instead of school settings. This is one of those books for me. Baby shower gift? Absolutely! Add to the library collection? Very likely. Read aloud in school? I'm not sure. The message is beautiful and empowering for Black and brown children, yet it does feel as if written as a prayer/note/lullaby from mother to son (which, to be fair, it is according to the author's note), and somewhat specific in how it speaks to that at the start. So it makes me contemplate the right setting for sharing it.
March 25, 2021
Gorgeous art, poetic text , and minimal child appeal. One more for the books I am buying to satisfy adult sensibilities, which means one less book the kids themselves would love will end up on my shelves. And yes, it is possible to create books that appeal to both and get a message across, while still telling a good story.
June 23, 2020
Beautiful love poem written for the author's son, to "provide parents with a starting point for conversations about the racial climate in our country today," and "to remind all children, especially those from marginalized backgrounds that no matter where they come from, they matter."
May 31, 2021
A poem commemorating that every child of every color and background matters in this world of ours. A great book for parents to use to converse with their children about our racial environment.
January 13, 2021
I know this book has been marketed heavily toward teachers, but I think it’s more of a family book than a classroom book. Reads like a prayer or a lullaby.
October 31, 2020
CWs: police brutality, questioning self-worth
This is one of those beautiful books you read to babies and young children to show them how much you love them, how much they matter to the world. I have never read a book like this that was written for Black children, much less Black Filipino American children. It touches 0n topics of ancestors/family history, lives lost from police brutality, and the importance of Black children seeing themselves on the page.
This is one of those beautiful books you read to babies and young children to show them how much you love them, how much they matter to the world. I have never read a book like this that was written for Black children, much less Black Filipino American children. It touches 0n topics of ancestors/family history, lives lost from police brutality, and the importance of Black children seeing themselves on the page.
“The first time you opened a book, like a mirror staring back at you, and really saw yourself... same hair, same skin, same dreams.”The words are lyrical, like a poem or a song. I can just imagine how soothing it would be to read this before going to bed. Somewhere out there in the world a caregiver is reading this book aloud to their child so that they can remember that they matter before falling asleep.
December 28, 2020
What a beautiful book, both with artwork and text. Throughout it notes how all young black and brown children matter, while also drawing attention to some of the ways society has misunderstood and mistreated them. For example, the names of Trayvon, Tamir, and Philanda are mentioned, as well as the mention of classmates giggling over the pronunciation of an unusual name.
Or the first time you opened
a book,
like a mirror staring back at you,
and really saw yourself…
same hair,
same skin,
same dreams.
I love this one and hope it will be found in schools and libraries everywhere! The art for this book was created with collage and Winsor and Newton watercolor paint on 300lb. Arches watercolor paper.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
Or the first time you opened
a book,
like a mirror staring back at you,
and really saw yourself…
same hair,
same skin,
same dreams.
I love this one and hope it will be found in schools and libraries everywhere! The art for this book was created with collage and Winsor and Newton watercolor paint on 300lb. Arches watercolor paper.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
January 19, 2021
I wanted to like this book and while I think the overall message is important, I disagree with the pantheistic views of the book. Black lives matter not because the universe says so but because they’re created in the image of God who gives them intrinsic value and dignity.
October 24, 2020
Both text and illustrations are stunningly beautiful and powerful! Don't miss the author and illustrator notes in the back. Tami Charles describes needing to have The Big Talk with her son and wanting to create "a starting point for conversations about the racial climate in our country today." Bryan Collier (winner of multiple Caldecott Honors) discusses the influence of his grandmother's quilt making in his art work and how he used petal shapes "to build a blossoming effect in all backgrounds . . . " A must-read picture book that is both timeless and relevant.
May 10, 2021
4.5 stars
September 27, 2020
#BlackLivesMatter because all lives matter in this story. #weneeddiversebooks
November 6, 2020
Stunning artwork and powerful message.
Empowering for young people to see themselves in print and to be encouraged to believe in themselves no matter what.
Empowering for young people to see themselves in print and to be encouraged to believe in themselves no matter what.
December 14, 2020
There are some books you just have to read to understand the power and profundity of words. After a few pages, I had a hard time reading through all my tears. I’m so glad this book exists.
November 10, 2025
Each moment in your life matters whether that be your first steps or even facing a big challenge.
"All Because You Matter" is a lyrical picture book that is written in the form of a letter by a mother to her son. It focuses on making sure her child feels valued and knows what makes them beautiful and special in a world filled with challenges to come whether it is in a classroom setting or real world injustices. It also gives us a moment to reflect on our background and what makes all of us special, connecting to ancestry and challenges we first faced growing up as simple as learning how to walk.
The major themes in this book are self worth with the book embracing one's culture and identity and also acknowledging injustices such as racism and other issues that can affect children that we may brush to the side.
The main genre of this book is poetry. Through reading this book I learned that we should have pride and embrace our culture and ancestry history because they worked hard in order for us to be who we are today. I also learned that knowing you are loved allows you to truly see that you matter to others but most importantly yourself!
This book was a WOW book for me because it addresses a target audience to not be ashamed of who they are and are constantly reminded throughout the book that they matter and it serves as words of affirmation and having the words engraved in your mind that we matter.
The author used multiple literary devices and other forms of writing craft in the book. First the author used the writing craft technique of imagery. An example of this writing craft from this book is when the author said “like your first steps, bare feet planted on cold floor, hobbling wobbling…” This writing craft technique enhances the quality of the book because it makes you recall how that would feel while you read along and ties the reader with positive memories in their lives and gives them a sense of nostalgia.
Second, the author used the writing craft technique of repetition. An example of this writing craft from this book is when the author tells the reader that they matter just about every other page. This writing craft technique enhances the quality of the book by keeping the rhythm of the book going and a constant reminder that although there may be challenges in one's life that may affect our self-esteem we still matter at the end of the day and we shouldn't feel less than anybody else.
This author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by showing children with unique names that are difficult to pronounce. This could be a universal experience not just with African American children portrayed in the illustration but people from different cultures may experience this as well. Another example is not feeling like you are doing your best because of a letter grade and thinking your effort is going unnoticed. After reading this book I was left with a new way of viewing myself and being a little less harsh on myself.
"All Because You Matter" is a lyrical picture book that is written in the form of a letter by a mother to her son. It focuses on making sure her child feels valued and knows what makes them beautiful and special in a world filled with challenges to come whether it is in a classroom setting or real world injustices. It also gives us a moment to reflect on our background and what makes all of us special, connecting to ancestry and challenges we first faced growing up as simple as learning how to walk.
The major themes in this book are self worth with the book embracing one's culture and identity and also acknowledging injustices such as racism and other issues that can affect children that we may brush to the side.
The main genre of this book is poetry. Through reading this book I learned that we should have pride and embrace our culture and ancestry history because they worked hard in order for us to be who we are today. I also learned that knowing you are loved allows you to truly see that you matter to others but most importantly yourself!
This book was a WOW book for me because it addresses a target audience to not be ashamed of who they are and are constantly reminded throughout the book that they matter and it serves as words of affirmation and having the words engraved in your mind that we matter.
The author used multiple literary devices and other forms of writing craft in the book. First the author used the writing craft technique of imagery. An example of this writing craft from this book is when the author said “like your first steps, bare feet planted on cold floor, hobbling wobbling…” This writing craft technique enhances the quality of the book because it makes you recall how that would feel while you read along and ties the reader with positive memories in their lives and gives them a sense of nostalgia.
Second, the author used the writing craft technique of repetition. An example of this writing craft from this book is when the author tells the reader that they matter just about every other page. This writing craft technique enhances the quality of the book by keeping the rhythm of the book going and a constant reminder that although there may be challenges in one's life that may affect our self-esteem we still matter at the end of the day and we shouldn't feel less than anybody else.
This author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by showing children with unique names that are difficult to pronounce. This could be a universal experience not just with African American children portrayed in the illustration but people from different cultures may experience this as well. Another example is not feeling like you are doing your best because of a letter grade and thinking your effort is going unnoticed. After reading this book I was left with a new way of viewing myself and being a little less harsh on myself.
June 10, 2021
This picture book for young readers (age 4 and up) is addressed to “you, dear child”: a young African American boy confronting the world around him.
The boy learns:
“Long before you took
your place in this world,
you were dreamed of,
like a knapsack
full of wishes
carried on the backs
of your ancestors . . .
. . . to them, you always mattered.”
Similarly, he is told, no matter what happens, he always has, and always will, matter to his family.
Nevertheless, the author says to the little boy, “there will be times when you … will question your place in the universe.” She gives examples of those times, such as:
“. . . . when your Pop Pop turns on the news, and you see people everywhere take a breath, take a stand, take a knee. And you hear Pop Pop’s whispered prayers, as another name is called: Trayvon, Tamir, Philando, and you wonder, if they, or you, will ever matter."
The author writes:
"But did you know that you do?
Did you know that you were born from queens, chiefs, legends?
Did you know that you are the earth?
That strength, power, and beauty lie within you?"
“Since the beginning of time,” she concludes, “you mattered. They mattered. We matter. . . . and always will.”
In an Author’s Note, Tami Charles explained that when her son began to ask questions, she knew she needed to have “The Big Talk” with her son:
“The one where I tell him that while there are many nice people in the world, not everyone is. And that sometimes people will treat others unfairly because of their skin color, race, or religion.”
She explains that she wrote this book to provide parents with a starting point for those conversations, and to remind all children that no matter where they come from, they matter.
Bryan Collier has won a number of Caldecott Honors, in addition to other awards, for his illustrations. Here he employs paint and collage images in a rich palette to show the young boy surrounded by all the influences in his life. He adeptly conveys the emotions of the boy as he reacts to his world with wonder, fear, love, and joy. In his Illustrator’s Note, Collier writes that his grandmother, who raised him, was a quilt maker, and explains how her influence is reflected in his artwork in this story. The use of collage to suggest quilts is evident throughout the story, and adds to the meaning of the words about ancestry, inheritance, and cultural influences.
Evaluation: The words and illustrations combine to create a caring, reassuring message, and perhaps more importantly, an empowering message. Children of all backgrounds will find something to take away from this story.
The boy learns:
“Long before you took
your place in this world,
you were dreamed of,
like a knapsack
full of wishes
carried on the backs
of your ancestors . . .
. . . to them, you always mattered.”
Similarly, he is told, no matter what happens, he always has, and always will, matter to his family.
Nevertheless, the author says to the little boy, “there will be times when you … will question your place in the universe.” She gives examples of those times, such as:
“. . . . when your Pop Pop turns on the news, and you see people everywhere take a breath, take a stand, take a knee. And you hear Pop Pop’s whispered prayers, as another name is called: Trayvon, Tamir, Philando, and you wonder, if they, or you, will ever matter."
The author writes:
"But did you know that you do?
Did you know that you were born from queens, chiefs, legends?
Did you know that you are the earth?
That strength, power, and beauty lie within you?"
“Since the beginning of time,” she concludes, “you mattered. They mattered. We matter. . . . and always will.”
In an Author’s Note, Tami Charles explained that when her son began to ask questions, she knew she needed to have “The Big Talk” with her son:
“The one where I tell him that while there are many nice people in the world, not everyone is. And that sometimes people will treat others unfairly because of their skin color, race, or religion.”
She explains that she wrote this book to provide parents with a starting point for those conversations, and to remind all children that no matter where they come from, they matter.
Bryan Collier has won a number of Caldecott Honors, in addition to other awards, for his illustrations. Here he employs paint and collage images in a rich palette to show the young boy surrounded by all the influences in his life. He adeptly conveys the emotions of the boy as he reacts to his world with wonder, fear, love, and joy. In his Illustrator’s Note, Collier writes that his grandmother, who raised him, was a quilt maker, and explains how her influence is reflected in his artwork in this story. The use of collage to suggest quilts is evident throughout the story, and adds to the meaning of the words about ancestry, inheritance, and cultural influences.
Evaluation: The words and illustrations combine to create a caring, reassuring message, and perhaps more importantly, an empowering message. Children of all backgrounds will find something to take away from this story.
December 15, 2020
There is NO denying that this extraordinarily talented illustrator, Bryan Collier, has poured his heart and soul into this picture book. The text and illustrations together are riveting, despite using minimal language and a blend of science, history, multi-lingual lines, and concepts that are interwoven throughout. This is an essential books for sharing with kid of every background and identity, across many ages. It is even more essential for all parents. Black and POC parents will embrace it, but I also strongly recommend to parents who are White. It offers an opportunity to see that yes, EVERY child matters, but even more so it can be a positive step to unwind our ingrained and spontaneous responses/biases that are baked into American society.
September 29, 2025
In this picture book, Black and Brown children are assured of their worth and existence. While reaffirming the existence of a brown-skinned boy throughout the story, the author reassures him in times when he might feel unvalued. The key theme of this book is celebrating life's journeys. This author went through the joys of childhood and the hardships of getting terrible grades by witnessing racial injustice. I chose this book because every kid asks themselves if they matter. They might feel small because of the world around them. This book helps children understand that you are important no matter what. That you were wished for and thought of and that you like everyone else have a place in this world. This book is intended for pre-k through third grade. I would use this book in my classroom to promote inclusivity in my classroom. I would start with a prompt like "I matter because..." and have them draw and finish or explain their drawings to me.
October 8, 2020
This book has beautiful illustrations and a strong, powerful, and poetic message-you matter, they matter, we matter, and always will. Beginning with an expectant mother, the book follows the baby as he grows up. On one spread, he is watching TV with his Dad "and you see people everywhere take a breath, take a stand, take a knee". The illustrator was influenced by his quilting Grandma, and every page has flower petals that look like quilt pieces. I think this would be a great book for story time.
October 28, 2020
Gorgeous homage to the black child. Bryan Collier's paint and collage illustrations are astonishing as always, and Tami Charles writes in a lyrical, powerful voice that brought tears to my eyes.
From the last pages:
"And on the day
the universe was created,
you were thought of,
dreamed of,
carried like a
knapsack full of wishes,
as planets,
stars,
moons
took their places...
Making room for you,
your people,
their dreams
your future.
All because,
since the beginning of time...
You mattered.
They mattered.
We matter...
and always will."
From the last pages:
"And on the day
the universe was created,
you were thought of,
dreamed of,
carried like a
knapsack full of wishes,
as planets,
stars,
moons
took their places...
Making room for you,
your people,
their dreams
your future.
All because,
since the beginning of time...
You mattered.
They mattered.
We matter...
and always will."
March 6, 2021
Beautiful story written as a love letter to black and brown boys as two parents prepare to bring a black child into the world and strive to protect him from the harms of living inside of it. A powerful message YOU MATTER written in context of the racial tensions and reckoning of the present day in hopes for a brighter tomorrow.
The accompanying artwork is beautiful mixed media incorporating quilts from his grandmother and representations of ancestors within its pages.
The accompanying artwork is beautiful mixed media incorporating quilts from his grandmother and representations of ancestors within its pages.
October 22, 2020
Not enough words for how beautiful this book is ~ words and illustrations are a perfect match. So many children never hear this message from the people around them. It is a reminder to me to stand in the gap and be a light of this love for the those who don't know how special they are.
Just a great book.
Just a great book.
December 18, 2020
I definitely thought this was on one of our upcoming Mock Caldecott Award tables, but it's not?! I liked this a lot. It's very readable and not too-text heavy while also touching on some important topics (namely BLM). The illustrations are beautiful, layered, and colorful. I love Bryan Collier's work and this is another great addition to his oeuvre.
May 7, 2021
This Notable Book for a Global Society winner was a great read. Written by a Cultural Insider, I thoroughly enjoyed how much this book emphasized the importance of individuals who don't always see themselves in books, but rather watch people of the same color getting killed on the news. Our Protagonist walks us through his journey and continues to exemplify why we matter, why everyone matters. I liked the author's Style and how they used Repetition to really bring everyone's importance to life. Resiliency and courage are great Themes for young readers to take away from this book.
March 27, 2025
This book expresses why you matter and why everyone matters. It talks about how everyone is unique in their own ways. Culture, childhood, and family are all mentioned in this book explaining why it all matters.
I want to use this book in my classroom to express that everyone is worthy of being here. No matter who you are you matter and belong right where you are.
I want to use this book in my classroom to express that everyone is worthy of being here. No matter who you are you matter and belong right where you are.
January 23, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the metaphors the author used and how she used words that many students would hear in their native language, but not a school. I loved how she used the text to promote students' confidence and self worth.
November 20, 2020
A touching love letter to black children reminding them that they have a place in this world and that they indeed, do matter. I think some parts may go over the heads of some children but overall it was inspirational and encouraging. 4.5 stars.
December 1, 2020
Official Rating:
5/5 stars 🌟
5/5 stars 🌟
December 17, 2020
Lovely one. Colliers illustrations compliment Charles words so peacefully. I enjoyed it. Hope kids are too
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