Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, Illustrated by Leslie Staub, Published in 1997
Whoever You Are is a wonderful children's book about the similarities that join us together, despite the differences in people around the world. This book shares that though people's skin, homes, schools, and language may be very different, their hearts are just the same. It highlights the similarities that we all share; such as, love, joy, laughter, pain, and sadness, and shows that we are all a part of this world, wherever we are.
Mem Fox is an Australian writer of children's books and
dedicates this story to "you, whoever you are" (Fox, 1997).
Fox uses very simple language that is geared towards
young children, demonstrating the peace, equality, and
unity we hope to make evident to all children. The author
explains that every child is different, but mentions the
Staub's illustrations perfectly depicts the message the
author was conveying throughout the book. Her pictures
tell the story just as well as the text, and does an
exceptional job on depicting children of all races and places
throughout the world. Staub uses a type of folk-art painting
to portray the children in the story to look like little dolls.
One may argue that some of the illustrations portray stereotyping; such as some of the Asian girls wearing rice or straw hats or the African American children playing with a monkey. However, this book is not stereotyping different cultures, but rather showing how different we are not only by our appearance, but in how we learn, interact, and celebrate with one another. Fox directly states in the beginning of her book that though others' skin, homes, and land may look different, they love, laugh, and feel the same as you do. There are children of all races shown in this story with how they learn and live within their own culture being depicted.
Whoever You Are is a positive and appropriate book for young children that Publishers Weekly considers to "provide a compelling exploration of the differences between children that make them unique as well as the common humanity that unites them" (publishersweekly.com). I would most definitely consider this book to be well suited for a classroom environment. It is a wonderful story for young children to teach them about the traditions that different cultures have, as well as the similarities that we all share. This would also be a great book for parents to read to their young children at home, demonstrating the acceptance for others as an entire family.
References:
- 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism. Adapted from the original brochure, which was published by the Council on Interracial Books for Children by the California State Department of Education. Sacramento, 1998.
- Fox, M. Whoever You Are. 1997.
- Whoever You Are. (n.d.). In Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com:8080/978-0-15-200787-4
- Whoever You Are. (n.d.). In Sweet On Books. Retrieved from http://www.sweetonbooks.com/all-titles/261-whoever-you-are.html
