I'm Here

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 differentand alonefor many reasons. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

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" Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"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