Why Am I Here?

The young narrator of this Norwegian picture-book wonders what his life would be like, if he lived somewhere else, questioning why he is where he is. Considering the possibilities - what would life be like if he lived alone in a great city, or somewhere he was forced to work (as so many children are), or perhaps in a war-torn country? - he ponders whether it would be possible for him to move, to come to the country in which he currently resides...

Originally published in Norwegian as Hvorfor er jeg her?, this gently contemplative picture-book is the second I have read from author Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen and illustrator Akin Düzakin, following upon their I'm Right Here. Like that earlier book, Why Am I Here? is quite phiosophical, show more raising a number of questions that young people might have as they grow older about life, the world, and their place in it. Given the description of war-torn countries, and the depiction of people fleeing by land and by sea, it's difficult not to read this one as an exploration of the current migrant crisis in Europe, but although I do believe it is meant to address that issue, I think it also has wider implications, and can be used to launch a more general discussion of those existential questions that are (in the end) unanswerable. I appreciated this one, finding the narrative interesting and the artwork lovely, but it wasn't quite as poignant somehow, as this team's other book. Perhaps because the loss depicted there was personal and individual, rather than communal and hypothetical? Whatever the case may be, I would recommend this one to those seeking more philosophical picture-books about the world, our place in it, and our relationship to people from other places. show less

What a unique book! Each page asks a question that puts the child or reader in another person's shoes, stretching their compassion for other cultures and hardships. The questions stoke thankfulness for the individuality of the life we each have been offered while also promoting curiosity about the beautiful world beyond what we know. Each question prompts discussion from the child, allowing multiple responses rather than telling an "answer". The crisp white pages accent this open-ended nature of the prompts, while the soft and colorful illustrations are a pleasure to view, being detailed enough to interest prolonged attention. I wish there were more books like this for young readers!

Thoughtful and meditative, unafraid to consider other settings, imagined and real: deserts, icebergs, a coal-mining mountain, various frightening but real scenarios (fleeing war, hiding, carrying everything, living alone in a city). The soft, dreamy illustrations pair perfectly with the what-if text. A good choice for children who are wondering about questions of identity, place, chance, and privilege.

"Everything might have been different
if I were somewhere else.
Why am I me, and not someone else?
And why am I here?"

Translated from Norwegian. Illustrations in pastel and colored pencils on paper.

See also: Home by Carson Ellis, This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe, Teacup by Rebecca Young and Matt Ottley

A girl wonders what it would be like to live in other places in the world. This book is quite dark because as opposed to wondering what it would be like to like in other countries such as "What would it be like if I was French?" or "What would it be like if I was Japanese?", this book explores the darkest aspects of childhood existence on the planet such as "What if I had to work in a mine?" or "What if I had to live under a bridge?" or "What if I had to live in the desert?" While appreciate the attempt to educate children about different ways of life, the conclusion was basically our way of life is the best and everyone else's is horrible. I do think the western lifestyle is best for children, but the dark, bland illustrations and the show more text make it sound like everyone else's life is horrible. Our wealth allows children to play and to be idle and dream and 'be children'. This is a relative new option for middle class and non-wealthy humans in human history. In poor countries, there are no options. Everyone must work or they don't eat. Unless you grow up on a farm, most youth don't realize the life and death reality of children working. So while I applaud this book for attempting to teach empathy to children, reality is not explained. Most parents in poor countries don't want their children to have to work - they need them to work for the family to survive. I wish this point would have been addressed. As is, the book seems to insinuate these cultures are evil. The author needs to address the cultural reality of these areas. show less

Impactful and self-reflecting, a young girl wanders through life wondering what it would be like to live somewhere else. She ignites readers to consider the world around us through many lenses.

The cover illustration of a small child with a lemur and the book title enticed me to request this selection from the early reviewer program. I was not prepared for the dark, monochrome tone of this apparent children's book, and found much of the art to be bleak, lonely and depressing, depicting themes of abandonment, isolation, disaster, pollution and war. Not at all what I was expecting, and certainly not a happy bedtime book to read with kids, unless an existential crisis is desired. I'm not sure who the target audience is for this book, but I know it is not me.

I found this book sparked many, many questions from my children, some that I liked and some that I didn't. Soft and dreamy illustrations help cushion the harsh impact of the reality some must cope with as the narrator journeys past young people who are homeless, fleeing war, working as child laborers, and surviving natural disasters. Touches of the fanciful and lovely—a secret forest, friendship with a ring-tailed lemur, stargazing—remind readers that even in a world of tremendous hardship there are moments of wonder. I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program.