This book is a love song, a celebration and an act of resistance in a time when there has been so much hatred and violence directed toward the Asian American community. Colorful illustrations full of cultural significance paired with prose celebrating the richness and diversity of Asian cultures will make Asian children feel seen and loved and will allow non-Asian children a window into the culture of their neighbors. I love the weaving of colorful rainbow inspired illustrations throughout the because they really do send the message that this is a celebration. In addition the illustrations are so incredibly representative of so many kinds of diversity. Bonus points as this is both written and illustrated by own voice creators.

This is a really powerful, empowering, and very kid-friendly poem, put alongside absolutely stunning artwork. It touches on a lot of topics in our current political climate, BLM, racism, immigration, etc, and assures children that they are precious and unique and wonderful, a culmination of all that came before them, and that's really beautiful.

Few words and a world of color to remind all of us of that we are unique, each one of us.
A kind and encouraging book for all kids and especially for kids with Asian roots to stay grounded in touch with their core, no matter what storm of ignorance may blow their way. As an Asian Dutch adult this book was special to me, reminding me that we are all a dream of the ones who came before us, We are the life that honors the lives of our ancestors. The eternal aspect of life is so beautiful expressed in this book. Few words introduce each illustration. Each illustration that will invite to more words and a beautiful conversation: balance inviting balance.

This was such a great book! This book had such a good message about loving who you are and accepting others for who they are. A story especially for immigrant children, this book is so, so important! I love to see all kids represented in books, and this one did an amazing job. This book was sweet, silly and overwhelmingly heartwarming! No matter where you are from, you are important. You are valuable. You are heard. You are seen.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 Capstone for a digital copy of this book! This book is due for publication 9/1/22.

"You are so colorful that no creation box could hold you." 🌈

💙 Mommy (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐦𝐨𝐦) and Ronan (@𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐝) approved ✅

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚!

This is a beautiful book written as a poem and love letter to immigrant children. The stunning lyrical prose pulled at my heartstrings. My 4-year-olds really enjoyed the gorgeous diverse bright illustrations celebrating different cultures.

This was a heartwarming book stressing to immigrant children that they are valuable. At the end, the author describes how he wrote this book during the rise in anti-Asian racism and hate crimes over the last few years. He says that he wants to celebrate the lives of Asian American children with this book and let them know they are loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone Publishing for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful homage to Asians and immigrants, You Are Life is equal parts a love letter to a spectacular array of cultures as well as a poem about family and individual identity.

Written in response to the anti-Asian sentiments that plagued the world after the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, author Bao Phi sends an important message to Asian children reminding them of their inner and outer beauty, their uniqueness, and that they are not to blame for the way of the world.

Older children will understand the lyrical prose and some of the more abstract cultural references, but younger children will adore the vivid and captivating illustrations, as well as internalize the message as they see or experience racism and hate in the world around them.

Truly, this is a story every child should hear. Each child is a unique individual that brings something amazing to the world. A reminder that no child is a burden, that they are deeply loved and deserve to shine, this book is stunning.

YOU ARE LIFE is a celebration of Asian immigrants and refugees. It has a very important message beneath it's cute art and poetic words. I liked it!

However the writing wasn't much for me—there were instances I had to reread the lines 3-4 times and still don't get it? But other than that, I really liked this book, especially the wholesome art.

Some of the "identities" are a little confusing in this book (portrait of farting cats and skateboard to name a couple), but I think that any celebration of Asians is welcome especially in this time in America. I appreciated that a child in the book had vitiligo.

You Are Life is a lyrical story that is a love letter to immigrant children. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. I do think some of the lines were abstract in a way that was confusing (and this could be a culture thing that I wasn't picking up on), but I thought it was a beautiful book with a wonderful message.

Great illustrations and great message, but some of the text is a little abstract in a slightly confusing way (e.g. "you are a song that sings us, and we sing you"). It's a lovely and enjoyable book.

“You are not a burden. In a basket of arms, you are the most precious thing."

That line made me, a fully grown adult, cry. This book is SO WHOLESOME, y'all. I think every kid should have access to books as uplifting and hopeful as this one. It's full of positive affirmations and also highlights diversity in a way that is not just accessible but wholeheartedly celebrated.

In a world where anti-asian hate and racism are everywhere you look, this book is necessary now more than ever.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute yet meaningful read and the message that explores the entire book is really great too. The illustrations are so beautiful and it fits so well with the entire content. I had so much reading this book and I would highly recommend it.

I found this children's book very interesting. The author wrote the book to help asian american children feel more included in society, and to help give them confidence. The book has a great message to all asian american people, or anyone who is feeling hurt from racism. The message tells asian american children that they are amazing and awesome, and that they can achieve their dreams. It is all very inspiring and heartwarming. The images in the book are fantastic, and they display diversity in all ways. Great book!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"You are not a burden. In a casket of arms, you are the most precious thing."

This book is inspiring the readers to become who they want to be while building up the confidence within oneself to support such dream. It's okay that no one understands you at a certain point; as long as you believe in yourself, the right set of people will support and love you for who you are.

It's such a cute and fun read. I love how colorful and amazing the illustrations are. The colors attract the eyes thus catching the attention of the reader.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This poem was beautiful. It is so important for kids to know they are loved and not invisible. Sometimes, it takes many different reminders for them to feel loved and seen and secure. This is a beautifully illustrated reminder for all of us.

You Are Life is a diverse, affirming picture book filled with colorful illustrations and lots of fun texts. I plan to reread this with my daughter, and I know she'll love the references to cats and dancing. I found myself tearing up a little at some of the affirmations: that children aren't viruses, or burdens, or invaders, but rather beautiful, wondrous with the potential to do anything.

There is also an author's note at the back of the book about the spike of anti-Asian violence, and a special message to Asian-American children. I'm an Asian-American mom raising an Asian-American child, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate this book.

This book is set to come out August 2022, and I will definitely be pre-ordering a book for my family.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I just read this book, and then read it again outloud. The artwork is honestly gorgeous, and far more complex than what I had been expecting from the cover. And I was very pleasantly surprised that it was in poetry form, and it was really beautiful, especially when I read it out loud. I loved the way the art and words came together, both showing different aspects of different cultures, and they were all beautiful. I think this is a gorgeous book, with a really good message for both immigrant and non-immigrant children - and everyone else. The poem is so lovely and impactful.

Honestly, my only complaint is that the cover is a bit plain compared to the inside, and I think it could get more attention if the art was more intricate and covered more of the space, and not with a yellow background - maybe blue would work. A night scene or an ocean scene.

But anyway, I really loved this book and was very pleasantly surprised by all of it. i would definitely recommend this to children and adults alike.

This is a book that must belong to every library shelf, classroom, and home. It is not just about anti-Asian violence awareness and an homage to Asian children. and culture. This is also for the adult who was once this child and its inner child is still in need of hearing each sentence on these pages. A stunning book.
The illustrations and design make the project very solid.

This was so beautiful! I absolutely loved the illustration and the message. Such a beautiful book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲, by Bao Phi and illustrated by Hannah Li is a beautifully illustrated poem celebrating Asian immigrant children, our identity, and embracing all that we are.

In a difficult time of anti-Asian racism, this book focuses on the beauty of our Asian identity, embracing all of who we are, defined by our ancestors but not confined to a box.

We are a dream, a song, we are “𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘅” could hold us in.

We can accomplish anything.

Thank you for this story for my little ones and for @netgalley and @capstonepub for providing an advanced reader copy.

#stopaapihate #stopasianhate #aapicommunity #wearehumans