ALL BECAUSE YOU MATTER

Tami Charles is a former teacher and full-time author of picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, and nonfiction. As a teacher, she made it her mission to introduce her students to all types of literature, but especially diverse books. While it was refreshing to see a better selection than what she was accustomed to as a child, Tami felt there weren’t nearly as many diverse books as she’d hoped for. It was then that she decided to reignite her passion for writing. Tami is the author of middle grade novels Like Vanessa and Definitely Daphne; Becoming Beatriz, a YA novel; and the picture book Freedom Soup.

Bryan Collier loves to paint. He has successfully channeled his creative energy and love of art into an illustrious career as a children’s book illustrator and writer. He began painting at the age of fifteen and eventually landed a scholarship to attend Pratt Institute in New York. The Coretta Scott King Awards praised Collier’s work in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2006, and he has won the Caldecott Honor for Dave the Potter, Martin’s Big Words, and Rose. Bryan lives in New York City.

“Two accomplished creators invite Black children to take up their spaces in the world… the journey from beginning to end of the book sends a message that is nurturing, nourishing, loving, and reassuring, expanding and deepening the words of the movement it echoes. Collier’s trademark paint-and-collage illustrations use petal shapes with patterns and faces, blue and brown hues, and family scenes and close-ups to embody the child’s growth within affectionate circles of family, community, and universe. A gem for every household.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Caldecott Honoree Collier’s (Trombone Shorty) tender, close-up watercolor portraits of a growing Black boy give visual power to this celebration of young Black lives. In an author’s note, Charles (Freedom Soup) writes about “The Big Talk”-words that every Black parent must speak to their child about discrimination and violence. Lyrical verse that aims to offer “a starting point for conversations about the racial climate in our country” underlines an important message: “you, dear child, matter.”… As a schoolchild in a green T-shirt, he faces hurdles: academic efforts go unrewarded, classmates jeer, “another name is called:/ Trayvon,/ Tamir,/ Philando.” Alongside these realities, Charles delivers a ringing affirmation of his life’s meaning-“Did you know that… strength, power, and/ beauty lie within you?”-as Collier shows the boy straight on, surrounded by collaged images of his ancestry. Universal declarations are often illustrated with images of many children; this book’s focus on a single child brings his experience and life-and the ways they matter-right up close.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review