[I am Somebody] [You are Somebody] [We are all Somebody]
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wished those around you would do better? You witness someone apathetically leave their trash on a park bench, pass by the homeless person splayed along the sidewalk without a second thought, or disregard a person who’s in need of help, without question or intervention. Maybe you’re like me and you live in the city where you see these little moments of injustice every day and wish just SOMEONE would do something about it. Pick up the trash. Share the resources. Be a little kinder to the world and those in it.
This book shares the story of a young child as she walks through her day and sees moment after moment of people neglecting our world and those around her. Spilled milk on a bus seat, classmates making fun of one another, people not sharing - and all the while we hear her resounding thought, ‘somebody should really do something’. One by one, she passes by hoping someone will come along to help, but when she notices her classmates without snacks when she has extra, she suddenly realizes that in fact SHE can be the change she wishes to see. After that pivotal moment we see her, one by one, addressing the injustice and being the person who everybody needs. “I am Somebody” urges us to consider that we can be the someone that the world needs, because we are all somebody too.
Towards the end of the book, there is a moment where our young lead sits down to have dinner with her family and opens up about the injustices she saw and experienced throughout her day. In a gentle moment, her mom takes her by the hand to explain that, “There are messes and injustices everywhere. Some we create, and some are made by others… the true injustice to us and the world is to decide to do nothing at all.” “We must remember that our actions matter. We are all Somebody who can create change,” says her dad. The true beauty in this lesson is this - that messes exist everywhere and the impact we have can be immeasurable if we can only see it and take action.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” What I love most about this book is its ability to transform and ground this grand lesson in applicability and simple, yet pivotal, stories for children.
Every step of the way, I felt a resonance with the young main character because I, too, have experienced her daily struggle. I, too, have wished for a better world without considering that I might be the one to pick up the trash or hold the person accountable for their actions. It takes bravery and a little effort, but we all have this voice in our hearts - the one who cares about the world and empathetically sees the imperfect world around us. What a beautiful lesson for children to understand what is meant by neglect and injustice, and to truly believe that they have what it takes within them to be the change.
Today is the book birthday of 'I am Somebody'.
If you are local to Colorado, please join me at reading the book at one of the following events:
Nyasha Williams Author Event - ‘I am Somebody’ Book Launch
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 27, 2023, 10:30 - 11:30 am MST
Location: The Bookies
Author Storytime Takeover with Nyasha Williams
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 28 · 10 am MST
Location: Second Star to the Right Children's Books 1455 S. Pearl Street Denver, CO 80210
Saturday Storytime with Storytime Star Nyasha Williams
Date and Time: Saturday, July 1 · 11 - 11:30 am MST
Location: Niwot Children's Park 101-199 1st Avenue Niwot, CO 80503
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