You Are Not Alone uses colorful art and inspirational text to grab its reader’s attention. This picture book shares how we can help make everyone feel accepted in our community by showing support for one another rather than dwelling on our differences. Emergent readers will enjoy chanting along with the steady rhythmic chorus throughout this inviting story.
Many diverse characters are included in this picture book. The story starts with a young African American boy speaking directly to the reader, “You don’t know me” and “I don’t know you.” The story transitions into other characters sharing their story including a girl telling of her struggles with peers not being able to pronounce her name correctly, children with prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs, and children who identify as nonbinary. Throughout the book, friends of these children show support in different ways, often chanting “You are not alone,” and help relieve some stress their peers feel from society. Many of the illustrations are brightly colored, fluid, and organic in shape, showing lots of emotions from the characters as they speak.
You Are Not Alone is an incredibly useful book for teachers to share with their students because it includes representation of people from many different cultures, gender identities, and physical mobilities. Students of African American, Native American, Asian, and Indian cultures are a few of the many mirrored throughout the book. This story also does a great job of speaking directly to the reader about the struggles the characters face, such as having a name that is difficult to pronounce. The story even shares how a friend of this character stood up for her against others and encouraged others to use the correct pronunciation of her name. Students of every age can relate and learn from these characters and how they support each other’s differences.
One way You Are Not Alone can be implemented into instruction is during a social emotional reading lesson. Students can use this read aloud as a bouncing off point on how we can better support everyone’s differences rather than belittle each other because of them. Students can draw or write about a scenario where they have or plan to stand up in support for their peers. Another way this book could be used is as a beginning-of-the-year read aloud that helps set the community expectations in the classroom. The teacher can use the statement, “You are not alone” as a reminder for students to rely on and support each other in their classroom community.
Shepherd, T. (2022). You Are Not Alone. Il. by Ashley Evans. Illinois: Sourcebooks.
Many diverse characters are included in this picture book. The story starts with a young African American boy speaking directly to the reader, “You don’t know me” and “I don’t know you.” The story transitions into other characters sharing their story including a girl telling of her struggles with peers not being able to pronounce her name correctly, children with prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs, and children who identify as nonbinary. Throughout the book, friends of these children show support in different ways, often chanting “You are not alone,” and help relieve some stress their peers feel from society. Many of the illustrations are brightly colored, fluid, and organic in shape, showing lots of emotions from the characters as they speak.
You Are Not Alone is an incredibly useful book for teachers to share with their students because it includes representation of people from many different cultures, gender identities, and physical mobilities. Students of African American, Native American, Asian, and Indian cultures are a few of the many mirrored throughout the book. This story also does a great job of speaking directly to the reader about the struggles the characters face, such as having a name that is difficult to pronounce. The story even shares how a friend of this character stood up for her against others and encouraged others to use the correct pronunciation of her name. Students of every age can relate and learn from these characters and how they support each other’s differences.
One way You Are Not Alone can be implemented into instruction is during a social emotional reading lesson. Students can use this read aloud as a bouncing off point on how we can better support everyone’s differences rather than belittle each other because of them. Students can draw or write about a scenario where they have or plan to stand up in support for their peers. Another way this book could be used is as a beginning-of-the-year read aloud that helps set the community expectations in the classroom. The teacher can use the statement, “You are not alone” as a reminder for students to rely on and support each other in their classroom community.
Shepherd, T. (2022). You Are Not Alone. Il. by Ashley Evans. Illinois: Sourcebooks.