Is There Really a Human Race?

Is there Really a Human Race?

Written and illustrated by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

Harper Collins Children’s Books, 2006

30 pages

          I chose this book because I love it.  I know that seems like a simple reason, but really do.  It is such an important message for young people, and old, today that is too often forgotten.  This book is about a little boy that is struggling to understand how the whole ‘human race’ idea works.  Are we really racing each other? 

He progresses through several levels of wondering to finally conclude that we, as a race, need to work together and lift each other up rather than try and beat the person next to us. 

          The illustrations in this book are done in water colors.  They have texture added to them by painted layers.  There is no negative space in this book at all, and the text is informal.  The colors used in this book make it a very warm and inviting story to read.  The illustrations really help to capture the bewilderment this poor little boy is feeling.

          I would recommend this book to anyone young or old, but definitely to younger children who may be processing the same questions.  I would use this book to promote or begin a unit on self-awareness or to just discuss good moral characteristics of successful people.  I would use this book for an older class by making it an example of a book that answers a question.  Then, the students would write their own question and answer it in story form.  There are no awards for this book yet.