Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

Whoever You Are
By Mem Fox; Illustrated by Leslie Staub
Red Wagon Books, 2007
28 pages
ISBN 978-0-15-200787-4
http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html
Ages 4 and up (According to Mem Fox "Day one (literally) to about five years.")

"Little one, whoever you are; 

whereever you are, 

there are little ones 

just like you 

all over the world.

... 

Their smiles are like yours

and they laugh just like you. 

Their hurts are like yours, and they cry like you, too,

Whoever they are,

whereever they are, 

all over the world."

Looking through a lens of peace and equality, this book focuses on commonalities instead of differences. Children all over the world are learning, eating, sleeping, laughing, going to school, and get hurt. Interestingly, part of studying other cultures includes knowing the similarities that unite people. Otherwise, a process of just pointing out differences can come close to cultural chauvinism. It's important for children to look beyond those differences to know that we all have hearts and experience pain. 

This book's message is clear, simple, and sentimental. It's just the way a book with this message and for this age group should appear.