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Table of Contents
About The Book
A Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick!
From spiritual activist, racial justice educator, and bestselling author Rachel Ricketts comes an inspiring picture book guiding children in heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices in the face of fear, anxiety, and racial injustice.
Hold on to what matters;
to joy
and being free.
When the world gets to be too much, we can always take a moment to look within ourselves for love, support, and healing. This lyrical mindfulness guide filled with an inspiring, positive self-esteem message helps young ones, especially Black and Brown children, feel big feelings and celebrate their whole being.
Includes a special author’s note and guide for caregivers to help little ones get embodied when their feelings get too big to handle.
From spiritual activist, racial justice educator, and bestselling author Rachel Ricketts comes an inspiring picture book guiding children in heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices in the face of fear, anxiety, and racial injustice.
Hold on to what matters;
to joy
and being free.
When the world gets to be too much, we can always take a moment to look within ourselves for love, support, and healing. This lyrical mindfulness guide filled with an inspiring, positive self-esteem message helps young ones, especially Black and Brown children, feel big feelings and celebrate their whole being.
Includes a special author’s note and guide for caregivers to help little ones get embodied when their feelings get too big to handle.
About The Author
Photograph by Bethany Schiedel
Rachel Ricketts is a global liberation leader, Afrofuturist, alchemist, and author of Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting & Healing White Supremacy. Rachel supports beings of all ages learning about and practicing embodied justice to create a healed and liberated world for all, especially Black and Indigenous femmes and others made most marginalized. She loves donuts, dancing, disruption, and all things metaphysical (ideally all at once). All I Need to Be is her first book for children. Rachel currently lives in Toronto, Canada. Find her work at RachelRicketts.com.
About The Illustrator
Photograph by January Rose Photography
Tiffany Rose is a teacher, world traveler, and the left-handed author/illustrator of M is for Melanin. She is also the illustrator of Abdul’s Story, All I Need to Be, and Hurry Kate, or You’ll Be Late. Tiffany is passionate about creating art and meaningful stories that reflect the everyday experiences of underrepresented voices in children’s literature. Tiffany currently lives and works in Shanghai, China. She’s a lover of coffee, wanderlust, massive curly afros, and children being their imaginative, quirky, free selves. Visit her at ASouthPawDraws.com.
Why We Love It
“Rachel Ricketts is a powerhouse author, changemaker, and healer who puts her whole heart into everything she does. In All I Need to Be, she empowers kids, especially Black and Brown children, to create healing spaces for themselves when the world events feel overwhelming. It’s not often that we see a book that aligns mindfulness and meditative exercises with social justice and activism, and Rachel and Luana’s words, coupled with Tiffany’s sweet illustrations, help bring to life a lesson and theme that feels wholly unique. I challenge you not to feel better after reading through this book—it can’t be done!”
—Celia L., Executive Editor, on All I Need to Be
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 2, 2024)
- Length: 32 pages
- ISBN13: 9781534478329
- Ages: 4 - 8
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Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): All I Need to Be Hardcover 9781534478329
- Author Photo (jpg): Rachel Ricketts Photograph by Bethany Schiedel(0.1 MB)
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