Black History Month Children Book Recommendation Part 2: You Matter by Christian Robinson

This month is Black History Month. To celebrate Black History month, each week we will be looking at different children's books written by black authors. This week we will be diving deep into a short story called You Matter by Christian Robinson. 

A page from You Matter

You Matter is a 40-page picture book written and illustrated by Christian Robinson; it was awarded the Best Book of the Year by Barnes and Noble for young children between ages 2 - 6 years old.

In the book, the story starts off with a young black girl examining nature under a microscope. As the story progresses, the author takes the audience on a journey through different parts of the world — shifting from a tiny pest to a giant dinosaur that was separate from its group —  indicating and reinforcing that all beings, big or small, regardless of age and race, or how different we are, we are significant. The story also touches on the concept of connectivity, where we are all connected to each other. 

Overall, the book is very impactful because it is very inclusive, reinforcing the message that we are important regardless of how others feel about us, how we think about ourselves, or how different we are; this is also emphasized through its illustrations such as a child in a wheelchair, or a bug being a pest. That said, this book touches on other important themes, such as everyone is connected. 

Lastly, the picture book is beautifully illustrated by the author himself with the use of fun bright vibrant colors, which is achieved with the use of pencil crayons, paper, and many more; also, the illustrations are very diverse which creates a sense of engagement with the story since young children are diversely represented in the book.