I'm Here

by Peter H. Reynolds, Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Overview

I’m here.
And you’re there.
And that’s okay.
But…
maybe there will be a gentle wind that pulls us together.
And then I’ll be here and you’ll be here, too.

Pure, powerful and deceptively simple, bestselling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds reminds us that children—and the friendships they make—can take flight in unexpected ways.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416996491
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/16/2011
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.60(w) x 8.36(h) x 0.45(d)
Lexile:	AD160L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Peter H. Reynolds is the bestselling author and illustrator of I’m Here, The Dot, and Ish; and illustrator for the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday by Alison McGhee. He is also the illustrator of Going Places, Little Boy, Charlie and Kiwi, and the Judy Moody series. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he is co-owner of the Blue Bunny bookstore. Visit Peter at PeterHReynolds.com.

Peter H. Reynolds is the bestselling author and illustrator of I’m Here, The Dot, and Ish; and illustrator for the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday by Alison McGhee. He is also the illustrator of Going Places, Little Boy, Charlie and Kiwi, and the Judy Moody series. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he is co-owner of the Blue Bunny bookstore. Visit Peter at PeterHReynolds.com.

Editorial Reviews

In the vein of The Dot and Ish, Reynolds offers another characteristically gentle and empathetic small-format book, written from the perspective of a boy who watches, from a distance, as other children play: "They are there. I am here." Their voices are "Splashes upon splashes of sound" that he hears "like one big noise. A big drum. Boom. Boom." When a sheet of paper floats down from the sky ("White rectangle. How did you find me?"), the boy folds it into an airplane. His imagination sends him soaring in a paper airplane ride before the narrative returns to reality, and the plane is retrieved by a girl who returns it to him: " ‘I'm here,' says the girl's smile." Though back matter explains that the book was written "to help us all reach out, embrace, and appreciate children in the autism spectrum," the pared-down prose and artwork, painted in Reynolds's typical loose style, are open to multiple interpretations and may facilitate conversations about reaching out to others who are different—and alone—for many reasons. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Eloquent, fanciful text and illustrations that sparkle with clarity ... any child who is isolated, introverted or simply self-contained will find something of him- or herself to recognize and appreciate here ... an excellent selection, replete with warmth, originality and the promise of good things to come."

—Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2001, *STAR

From the Publisher

A lonely, young boy's imagination takes flight when he picks up a piece of paper in the school yard and folds it into a paper airplane. Imagining himself as the pilot, he is sent soaring back to the heavens, when his aircraft nearly touches the ground, by the other children on the playground. When the plane eventually returns to him it is brought by another child, a girl who reaches out to him in friendship. The charmingly simple illustrations in this book beautifully compliment the poetic storyline. Children who have ever felt to be an outsider will immediately relate to the little boy and his airplane and may even find a method of reaching out to other children after reading this delightful story. This would work well as an accompaniment to a lesson on friendship or feelings or may be of good use in a special needs classroom. Children will be able to identify with either the boy or the girl who returns his paper airplane. Reviewer: Miranda McClain

Children's Literature - Miranda McClain

K-Gr 2—Created as a companion to a film of the same name, this quiet wisp of a story poignantly portrays the loneliness and social challenges experienced by a boy on the autistic spectrum. The pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoon illustrations, combined with ample white space and varied font sizes, render a warm, light touch to what could be a heavy subject. Pictured sitting alone on a busy, noisy playground, the boy describes how the cacophony created by the other children drives him to sit apart: "They are there. I am here." When a gentle breeze wafts a rectangle of paper into his lap, he painstakingly folds it into a paper airplane. In his imagination, the plane flies him off blissfully into the sky, then swoops down nearly to the ground only to be launched into space again by the playground kids. In reality, a girl finds the paper airplane when it floats to the ground and returns it to the boy, her smile and selfless action bridging the gap between them. The utility of this book for young children, whether or not they are on the autistic spectrum, will be greatly enhanced with adult facilitation. Best for collections needing very simple materials to start conversations about human differences.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT

School Library Journal