Book Review: What Am I?

Quick Look

Book: What Am I?
Authors: Asiila Imani and Papatia Feauxzar
Published: May 31, 2019
Pages: 19
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Review

Note: I was compensated for this review; however, it did not affect my review. This review was with my 10-year-old daughter, Hafsa.

“What Am I?” is the second book in the “The What (Race) Are We? series. The book is a conversation between the main characters, Toa Idris and his paternal grandmother (who he affectionately calls G-Ma), about his heritage and ancestors. The book is organized in simple sentences with vibrant illustrations. The analogy used was useful especially for younger audiences because it can help them visualize the different ethnicities using an everyday item.

The book also teaches the audience how to say Hello, how are you and goodbye in both Samoan and Arabic. Even though this book is geared towards younger audiences some paragraphs may be too long and there is a lot of additional information, including about half-siblings and cultural ceremonies, which could be overwhelming for them to follow.

Hafsa enjoyed that the book is written as a conversation because it expresses each person’s point of view. Also, she laughed at the cute nicknames G-Ma gave Idris: Oogie Boogie, Mr. T and Idrisi. The illustrations are lively and colorful drawings that clearly show how different Toa Idris and his relatives are. My favorite was the beautiful illustration of his family because it helped to explain the family relationship.

This book will be beneficial for all children especially those who are biracial or multiracial in helping them understand all of their ethnicities. Overall, this is a cute book that will be welcomed in every child’s library. Any book that can make a 10-year-old laugh out loud is a win!