Picture Books Are for Readers of All Ages: A Guest Post by Kobi Yamada
Kobi Yamada, author of Trying, Maybe, What Do You Do With An Idea? and more is back with a brilliant new picture book complimented by Gabriella Barouch’s stunning illustrations. Kobi Yamada believes picture books are for readers both old and young, and we couldn’t agree more. Discover the motivations behind Yamada’s work, down below.
Hardcover
$17.05
$18.95
Why Not?: A Story about Discovering Our Bright Possibilities
Why Not?: A Story about Discovering Our Bright Possibilities
By
Kobi Yamada
Illustrator
Gabriella Barouch
In Stock Online
Hardcover
$17.05
$18.95
Kobi Yamada has a knack for taking big concepts and boiling them down into simple picture books and he’s done that again in this touching reminder to be who you want to be and no one else.
Kobi Yamada has a knack for taking big concepts and boiling them down into simple picture books and he’s done that again in this touching reminder to be who you want to be and no one else.
In writing Why not? I was excited to work again with the amazingly talented illustrator, Gabriella Barouch. Creating Maybe, our first book together, was something new for both of us. We set out to make a picture book in a little different way. We purposefully didn’t want to tell the story through my words, but instead the goal was to let Gabriella’s beautiful illustrations leave clues and hint at the arc of the story. We were excited to take this approach once again with Why not?
I consider both these books as inquisitive titles. We created them to ask something of the reader. It is our hope that the story will unfold in their hearts and minds. Because the story is really about them. It is my belief that these books are incomplete without the reader. It is the experiences, doubts, hopes and dreams of the person holding the book that is most central to the story.
Every time we create a new book, we are very aware of the wonderful opportunity to try to surprise and delight. We know the world can seem uncaring and tough at times. We all can get a little discouraged and beaten down by the cynicism and resignation permeating around us. And the negative comments don’t just come from the outside world, we are all guilty of being hard on ourselves. We all have tens of thousands of thoughts each day, and unfortunately, many of them are negative and critical. We are all constantly asking ourselves questions, and a lot of these questions can be disempowering. Every one of us has an internal critic that fuels our doubts and fears. Taking this into consideration, we love the challenge of creating picture books that illuminate possibilities and potential in a way that is uplifting, and hopefully, thought provoking. We create our books with the goal that they may lead to conversations and constructive thoughts that can foster deeper understanding, connection and compassion.
I am more convinced than ever that picture books are for readers of all ages. They can simplify a topic in a way that is easy to understand, but they can also be expansive, allowing readers to carry the story with them. And I believe, if done well, picture books can be an emotional touch point for people throughout their lives. Each time we open a book, it is a new experience. Not because the book changes, but because we do. It is our hope that our books will grow with readers throughout their lives, and remind them of their deep reserves of courage, talent and potential they have to impact the world.
