I Wish You Knew

by Jackie Azúa Kramer, Jackie Azúa Kramer

A heartfelt story that explores the aftermath of deportation, I Wish You Knew celebrates the power of connection and empathy among children.

When Estrella’s father has to leave because

he wasn’t born here, like her,

She misses him.

And she wishes people knew the way it affects her.

At home. At school.

Always.

But a school wrapped around a hundred-year-old oak tree is the perfect place to share and listen.

Some kids miss family,
Some kids are hungry,
Some kids live in shelters.

But nobody is alone.

A story about deportation, divided families, and the importance of community in the midst of uncertainty.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, School, Childrens, Social Issues, Friendship, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 25, 2021

About the author

Jackie Azúa Kramer is an award-winning and internationally translated children’s book author. Her picture books include THE GREEN UMBRELLA, 2017 Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year; IF YOU WANT TO FALL ASLEEP; THE BOY AND THE GORILLA, 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner; I WISH YOU KNEW, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books and Parents’ Magazine Book Club Pick; MILES WON’T SMILE; DOROTHY AND HERBERT: AN ORDINARY COUPLE AND THEIR EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTION OF ART, Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Her upcoming picture books are MANOLO AND THE UNICORN, WE ARE ONE, EMPANADAS FOR EVERYONE and BOOGIE IN THE BRONX.

Jackie strives to write books that meet children where they are and reflect what children see in the mirror and out of their windows. She lives with her family in Long Island, NY.

Jackie is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and is represented by Stephen Fraser of Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Jamie Bills · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WISH I KNEW is a beautiful and solemn reminder of the many hidden trials and sorrows kids at school face, often in silence. Children and adults can learn through this story that growing strong classroom relationships can be helpful in these situations.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age appropriate story about how a child whose father does not live with her, because he must return to his native country, copes with help from a teacher and a one hundred year-old oak tree.

[Renn · Rating 5 out of 5]

CWs: deportation of a parent, depression, difficulty in school
CWs for my review: lightly referenced child abuse

This is a book I wish I had growing up. I think everyone carries an “I wish you knew” with them. What if we were all given the chance to open up about our burdens and be met with compassion by the adults (teachers, parents) in our lives? It would’ve changed my life.

There’s been so many burdens I carried throughout my childhood, partly because I didn’t know how to talk about them and partly because an adult I trusted didn’t want to believe me. It created a ripple effect on my life that told me to keep some things silent and hidden, which has greatly impacted my adult life too.

If I had I Wish You Knew maybe it would’ve shown me the way. It would’ve told me, “Try again. Keep trying. Eventually you will find someone who will listen and treat you with kindness. It might take multiple tries, but it will happen.”

Maybe this book being in the world will help a child when I couldn’t help myself. And maybe it will help adults too! I think it’s already helped me.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having seen many of the entries from the blog and book I Wish My Teacher Knew, it made me happy to know that this particular movement has spread even further in some schools into a sharing circle called I Wish You Knew where students and even teachers can write down and even speak their concerns. It's true that everyone has something going on in their lives at one time or another that may cause them to feel distracted, preoccupied or not at their best. Sometimes, talking about those worries can help. The picture book opens with Estrella sharing her longing for her father who has returned to the country of his birth, perhaps out of fear of being deported. She explains how his absence is affecting her and the rest of her family. Estrella's teacher shares her fondness for her students and the school and wishes they knew that there aren't alone. She uses her concerns as inspiration for the sharing circle, which prompts the students to share their fears and have them validated as well as receiving reassurance and simply being heard for the others. While I liked this story and the teacher's willingness to listen--sometimes that's all that is needed--and even though the teacher's portion is in italics, I was confused at first when I read this picture book because I thought maybe Estrella had grown up to become a teacher and was now remembering how she once felt and providing the I Wish You Knew safe place for her own students. That turned out not to be the case, but it briefly confused me. The illustrations, created with ink, gouache, pastel, and digital collage, are quite attractive and support the text perfectly. The facial expressions of the characters reveal their raw emotions. Perhaps teachers will want to share this picture book with their students before discussing how the class might create a similar safe space for sharing thoughts and feelings. The more we acknowledge our fears and concerns to ourselves and others, the better off we may be since we're being honest and not hiding those feelings.

[Johannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told from many different perspectives, this one is absolutely beautiful. If I could read it every week I would. So powerful and beautifully illustrated, a great way to start the idea of a sharing circle in class.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text-to-Self Connection:
Wonderful, Wonderful book! I remember being a school age student, and not knowing how to express myself. My classroom environment, and school experience would have been so much better if my teacher knew some of the things about me that were under the surface. I loved how all the students, and teachers in this book expressed what they “wished others knew.” This book is a great reminder to really get to know your students, and or people in general before judging or acting on assumptions. There are so many things we don’t know about others, and so many things we can share that we wish people knew about us.

[Neha Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pair with Areli is a Dreamer, immigration law discussions, DACA laws.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

En español and in English. Great addition as a read aloud or socioemotional (SEL) read. Recommended for elementary (k-5)

[Marissa Elera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tender. Honest. Stunning.

[emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool, this one made me weepy too! Estrella's [Mexican] father must leave the US (the implication is that he had to or face deportation.) and she thinks about what she wishes he knew about her, but also acknowledges that she holds many of these feelings and memories inside. In turn, the teacher and classmates have things they hold... and wish people knew (this includes living in a shelter, hunger, etc). This book is about empathy, sharing, and trust, and phewwww it will hit a reader's nerve. I think this book is about family because it recognizes that your family life impacts your school self, that loving your family can hurt, and reflects the experience of many kids. It also indicates that when we share the vulnerable parts of ourselves, we gain access to a broader family who is there for us, who is willing to listen and extend kindness, love, laughter, and help. Beautiful. The illustrations matched the warmth coupled with the whispiness of memory.

[Cara BookShelfMomma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is something every teacher should have for their classroom. I loved the story of how a heartbreaking situation in one child’s life opened the door for all the children to have a safe place for them to open up to the teacher. It reminds you that not everything is what it seems on the outside and some people have some heavy issues going on. It is a great reminder with this being Mental Health awareness month that we need to have an outlet to open up and talk to someone about our issues. Also I love that there is a copy that is translated into Spanish and I cannot wait to drop it into a @littlefreelibrary !

Thank you to @mackidsbooks @jackie_azua_kramer , @magdalena.i.mora and @storygramkids for this gifted copy.

Some kids miss family,
Some kids are hungry,
Some kids live in shelters.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Created when the author experienced the national movement #Iwishmyteacherknew, this beautiful book uses a dual perspective as one child shares that she wish her classmates knew about her father having to leave the country as an illegal immigrant while she stays behind with her mother and then her teacher shares what she wishes all of her students would know about her. The children in the class create an I wish I knew space and take turns sharing their stories.

I loved the concept, it was done exceptionally well, with beautiful illustrations.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl whose father had to return to his home country wishes that her classmates understand that when she sits alone it’s because she misses her dad. A teacher wishes that when her students struggle with things that they knew they weren’t alone. That is why she creates a sharing circle, a place of safety where students, when they’re ready, can share how they’re feeling and why.

We all have things we’re struggling with. How wonderful would it be if we could all share our struggles and then support each other through them. Beautiful book.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a welcome and heartfelt conceptual picture book in multiple voices, those of children and adults, to explore the importance of viewing our own inner stories and those of others with respect and empathy, know that they are the scaffolding on which our reactions, decisions, and unconscious choices in everyday life.
Handled with care and gentle realism, this is an invitation to look beyond assumptions stereotypes, and tunnel vision to see the whole person and invite them to enter into the conversation.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After her father is deported, a girl and her family struggle; fortunately, her school offers a sharing circle called I Wish You Knew for kids to talk through their challenges. Colorful illustrations with lots of bright yellow and green emphasize the hopefulness of the story as the children wait for their wishes to bloom. The Author’s Note tells her father’s immigration story, mentions her experience as the child of an immigrant, and emphasizes the need for a community of meaningful classroom relationships, such as the social media movement #IWishMyTeacherKnew featured in this book.

[Louise M. Aamodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever your political stance in these challenging times, this book shares an empathy-building peek into the life of a girl whose father had to return to his native country. "I wish you knew that when I forget my homework or sit alone at lunch or cry over little things, it's because I miss him." As the main character learns to open up to her classmates, we find out that many children face their own challenges outside school. This book could be a great conversation-starter for kids (and adults!)--a gentle nudge to step inside somebody else's shoes.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Thank you Jackie Azúa Kramer and Macmillan Kids for sharing this book with the LitReviewCrew. This was so beautiful and will definitely go in my list of classroom Bookaday reads. This book touches on so many themes and the illustrations match the mood so beautifully.

3 things about this book:
1-Knowing you are not alone is important
2-Have hope
3-Be supportive and understanding of others

I hope you read this book! It’s also available in Spanish.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young child's father is deported and the grieve and confusion that follows in the child's heart is one of universal sadness. "I wish you knew..." statements offer a child's perspective of why, perhaps, when she is sad, or forgets her homework, or sits alone in class, it might have a complex explanation. But the author also offers the perspective of teachers, "I wish you knew that .... you are not alone."

[superawesomekt · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 stars

I don't usually like books like this, but I feel like it presents the ideas very well to children and would be great in a classroom to discuss empathy and the burdens that others carry that we don't always know about. The illustrations are sweet and there are some common themes with the oak tree and sunflowers and a feeling of hope throughout. That being said, there is a lot to unpack here, so it will definitely need some context from adults when sharing it with children.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl misses her father when he has to return to the country where he was born. She wishes her classmates knew what was going on and why she's so sad and lonely. While her father can't be with her now, she has memories and the skills he taught her that she can pass on to other students. Part of the #IWishMyTeacherKnew social media movement, emphasizing teachers' role as listening ears for their students. Another great book to set the tone at the beginning of the school year.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Students (and teachers) respond to the question, "What do you wish others knew about you?" There are deep, personal revelations that explain a lot about character actions.

Teaching Points:
- SEL Connection: Good MID-YEAR conversation starter to get students to share more personal things privately. It would be great to read this book then let students PRIVATELY write down something they want to share with their teacher.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender story about life after a parent has been deported. This young girl shares her memories and her current emotions as she faces the new reality for their family. I love when the POV changes and we see the teacher share what she wished they knew too. Then, again, the various wishes shared anonymously in the sharing circle. So many needs and fears. Sadly, a book that will resonate well with children and adults.

[Kelsey Vongphosy]

I Wish You Knew is a beautiful and important story. It is heartfelt. It leans into different struggles and how we each have things we are holding on to that we wish we could share or that someone else knew. Different things like deportation, divided families, hunger, and homelessness were all talked about. But the moral of the story was that no one is alone and that they have community within each other.

[Artlibrarian]

An original story and movement about kids having a space in school to share things with their teachers "I wish you knew". Topics like home life, immigration, and other heart filled moments. Watercolor illustrations. Diverse characters. Simply beautiful and I highly enjoyed this book as did my 10 year old.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a book to help a kiddo with empathy issues. I don't think this one will work for him, but it is a very tender story about realizing that everyone is going through something, even if they don't talk about it. It's always a tough sell to read books like this with kids, but the main topic is timely (family separations) and empathy is never a bad idea.

[Susan Dunn]

A great read aloud about a little girl whose immigrant father has to return to his native country. She misses him terribly, and wishes that her classmates knew why she was sad. This opens up a conversation about things her teacher and classmates wish others knew about themselves. Would be a great classroom activity book.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warmly illustrated, this picture book opens the discussion about the hardships that many students face at home while trying to be successful at school. An excellent book to open the lines of communication and spark empathy in the classroom community.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/30/2021 ~ What do you wish others knew about you? Do you wonder what others wish you knew about them. This could be a valuable book to begin a conversation about a classroom community circle built on trust and respect.

[Robert Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a powerful book with so much truth and pain attached to it. It’s also a reminder that children deal with stress and personal problems just like adults; I think some people overlook that and think they should be grateful they’re “still just a kid”.