Every day all over Australia, children are laughing and crying, playing and learning, eating and sleeping. They may not look the same. They may not speak the same language. And their lives may be quite different. But inside, they are just like you. Here is another wonderful story from much-loved children s author, Mem Fox, that weaves its way across cultures and generations, and celebrates the bonds that unite us all. A timely reminder in the present political climate.

About the Author

Mem Fox was born in Melbourne to missionary parents, and grew up in Zimbabwe. She studied acting for three years, before marrying her husband Malcolm and moving to Rwanda with Volunteers Abroad. She and Malcolm arrived in Australia on their way to Canada, but decided to stay. Mem Fox is an Associate Professor in Literacy Studies, and the author of the best-selling children s book in Australia, Possum Magic, and the highly successful Boo to A Goose (published by Hodder Children s Books). She lives in Adelaide. Leslie Staub was born in New Orleans. Her paintings have been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States. After living many years in the Northeast and Northwest of America, she has happily returned to her birthplace, where she continues to paint. Whoever You Are is her first picture book.

Reviews

"Raschka translates the Shaker musical paean to a simplified life into a sort of peaceable kingdom where various animals dwell together in harmony with nature," said PW. "He creates an exceedingly handsome stained glass effect with heavy black lines juxtaposed against hues as warm as a flurry of autumn leaves." Ages 3-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

K-Gr 3‘Fox has composed a simple refrain to celebrate human connections in this lovely picture book. "Little one, whoever you are," she explains, there are children all over the world who may look different, live in different homes and different climates, go to different schools, and speak in different tongues but all children love, smile, laugh, and cry. Their joys, pain, and blood are the same, "whoever they are, wherever they are, all over the world." Staub's oil paintings complement the simple text. She uses bright matte colors for the landscapes and portraits, placing them in gold borders, set with jewels and molded from plaster and wood. These frames enclose the single- and double-page images and echo the rhythm of the written phrases. Within the covers of the book, the artist has created an art gallery that represents in color, shape, and texture, the full range of human experience.‘Barbara Kiefer, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY