I can’t imagine sharing a more beautiful or timely book than this one today.

You Matter is a beautiful book that speaks directly to the listener’s heart. Addressing the reader in a humorous way, Christian Robinson manages to inspire a sense of belonging in all of us (including both dinosaurs and asteroids!) ensuring that all of us know that we matter to the world.  An abundance of different scenarios show how something might not seem to matter (like a mosquito bite), but if you’re a T-Rex and have one on your tail it could be incredibly frustrating.  The story shows how different perceptions impact how we feel, and those perceptions are a valuable part of the situation.  I love this message being given in a book aimed at younger readers, it’s an important part of social-emotional learning and helps empathy development.

Robinson does an extraordinary job with the art in this book, joining whimsy and emotionality in a beautiful way that stick with the reader long after closing the book.  I’m just in love with the message and the illustrations, they are diverse and clever.

This book was sent to us by friends at Simon & Schuster, but all opinions are our own. You Matter is being released tomorrow, June 2nd! Christian Robinson has also started a YouTube series and posts videos every Sunday, creating different videos under the main theme of “Making Space”.  There’s often an art activity and a special guest, you should definitely check it out!

Christian Robinson was born in Hollywood, California. He grew up in a small one-bedroom apartment with his brother, two cousins, aunt, and grandmother. Drawing became a way to make space for himself and to create the kind of world he wanted to see. He studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts and would later work with the Sesame Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios before becoming an illustrator of books for children. His books include Gaston and Antoinette, written by Kelly DiPucchio, and the #1 New York Times bestseller Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and the Newbery Medal. He presently lives in northern California with his rescue greyhound Baldwin and several houseplants. He looks forward to one day seeing the aurora borealis. Visit his website here!