I Am Special is a rhyming picture book about the many career paths people can walk and the plan that God ultimately has for each individual.
Firmly rooted in a Christian lexicon, I Am Special primarily follows the first-person narrative of a young girl on the search for the person she’s meant to be—a girl certain that if she keeps “searching” and growing, God’s plan will be revealed to her. Her possibilities range from medical research (“maybe I’ll find the cure to an awful disease”) to athletics and law.
With uplifting verses about fulfilling your potential, I Am Special could bring brightness and hope to young readers. The illustrations are well matched to the text. Impressionistic and expressive, they help readers imagine themselves in the story while also presenting a diverse cast of background characters. A place at the end of the story allows young readers to personalize the book by pasting in a photo.
The text includes some redundancy (e.g., “Maybe one day I’ll give others a hand” appears on one page; the narrator contemplates giving “a helping hand to someone in need” on another) and inelegant construction (the narrator notes that she might “work in a business and balance the balance sheet”).
Adults should be aware of the overt and consistent religious copy. Although many families will welcome this, others may prefer a more secular approach. In addition, because the narrative focuses on discovering and fulfilling God’s plan, it doesn’t include specific ideas for how to discover it other than through faith, prayer, and a passing reference to exploring the world.
A positive and wholesome book with strong grounding in Christian faith, I Am Special will complement the titles in many faith-based book collections.
Also available in hardcover.
