I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes & Illustrated by Gordon C. James

Black young men are feared and maligned. Black parents need to teach their sons and daughters how to behave when stopped by a police officer, how they have to behave in specific social situations, how they have to work twice as hard to get half as far, and, as is the message of this book, they are worthy, they are important, they are loved, they are good.

I Am Every Good Thing is a beautifully illustrated ode to the author's and illustrator's sons and dedicated to Black young men who's lives ended far too early. Told in the first person, the poem expresses everything a young Black man is. From son to father, artist to athlete, a difference maker, a leader, a son, a caregiver, "I am a brother, a son, a nephew, a favorite cousin, a grandson. I am a friend. I am real." Every illustration shows the same love, compassion and importance of the words. The beautiful oil paintings use brushwork that evoke the emotion. A necessary message for young Black men that should not have the imperative that it does today.

Mark's Book Picks Score: 4

Reading Level: 2.0 • Interest Level: P-2 • AR Points: NA • Lexile Level: NA • Publisher: Penguin • Pages: 32 • Copyright: 2020 • ISBN: 978-0-525-51877-8 • Available in Perma-Bound Binding