Here I Am

Here I Am
by Patti Kim

I work in a school district with a student enrollment 98 countries and 56 languages. I would recommend this wordless picture book for all levels of libraries in my school district. It is a beautifully illustrated story of a young boy moving from his home in Korea to the United States. Readers of all ages can identify with the young boy's anger and frustration in the beginning of the book because of the changes that are occurring in his life. The young boy has a red seed he holds on to as a reminder of his far away home, but when he looses it out the window one day he begins to explore his new home. This exploration reveals all of the wonders he has now, here.

The author takes the opportunity at the end to share her story. She offers others who have immigrated to another country or who are facing challenges in their life to read her story and understand they are not alone.

I would highly recommend this title for all libraries, and for families who are sponsoring a child for a foreign exchange program. I know the distance can make anyone homesick, but maybe this wonderful book can help ease the sadness by showing the excitement that is all around, if you just take a moment to see where you are.

*To comply with new guidelines introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Capstone Press has provided a complimentary electronic copy of this book through NetGalley.com.