WHY AM I HERE?

A pair of children imagine the possibilities of their futures in this inclusive picture book.

When a girl with brown skin and brown curls questions her purpose in life, she says, “Sometimes I sit and I think about me. / I let my imagination go wild, go free!” As the girl imagines her future, she thinks of colorful prospects, distant places, and jobs she might have. But she knows she’s not the only one with a purpose: Everyone, she says, has a future path to dream into being despite any obstacles. Dunsen-White’s strong rhyme scheme carries the book through familiar waters, lingering only briefly on possible careers and focusing more on the journey toward the future. Although the book isn’t explicitly faith-based, a few notes indicate the girl’s belief not only in herself, but in something larger than her; this reference makes it easy to adapt the text to suit the needs of spiritually inclined readers. Illustrator Rizzo’s whimsical cartoon images highlight the colorful imagination of the point-of-view character, and inclusive rhymes, such as “Although I am probably different from you, / You have a purpose, deep down inside too” are surrounded by illustrations of children of various abilities and skin tones. The final pages encourage further discussion with family members.

Solid rhymes and diverse representation freshen a familiar theme.