Laura Purdie Salas

Small Reads for Brighters Days

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Laura’s Books
  • Poetry
    • Poems Published Elsewhere
    • My Poetry–a Sampler
    • Poetry Videos
    • How To Write Poetry
      • Poetic Pursuits
  • For Teachers
  • Presentations
  • Freelancer
  • About
    • Press Kit
      • Short Bios
      • Awards & Honors
      • Author Photos
      • Book Covers
      • Book Reviews
      • In the Press
    • Who Am I?
    • How I Became a Writer
  • Blog
    • Review Policy
  • For Writers
You are here: Home / We Belong

We Belong

We Belong

You and I, we’re alike,
but we’re different too.
That’s not good.
That’s not bad.
It’s just what is true.

Explore and celebrate who you are and who others are too! Short or tall. Black or white. Quiet or loud. There’s beauty in each, and most of us are not all of one quality or another, anyway! Rhyming verse invites you to notice the diversity of our world and affirm that we all belong, just as we are. Bright illustrations by Carlos Vélez Aquilera showcase a friendly urban setting.

Author: Laura Purdie Salas
Illustrator: Carlos Vélez Aquilera
Publisher: Carolrhoda (3/1/22)
ISBN: 978-1541599130

 

Add to Goodreads

We Belong

Signed Copies Available

Personalized, signed copies! Note personalization name in comment box as you order the book:>)

Support indie booksellers!

Order from Amazon

 FREE Activities

A digital graphic to copy, paste, and share

Downloadable, printable 18×24 poster Group poem template with brief directions
Group poem template without directions Individual poem template with brief directions Individual poem template without directions

 

 

How the Book Began

Reviews & More

  • Kirkus Reviews: “An upbeat, empowering celebration of human diversity.”
  • Publishers Weekly: “Nuggets of practical wisdom appear throughout (“Sometimes we’d like to make sadness extinct,/ but teardrops and smiles are joined—they are linked”), supporting the book’s open-armed embrace of planetary togetherness and diversity in the human experience.”
  • School Library Journal: “SEL: The Books Kids Need Most Now” “In rhyming verse—great for a read-aloud—Purdie Salas starts with easier concepts about the attributes people possess like “quiet” and “loud” and progresses to more challenging ones like skin color and gender identity. “It really ties in with social awareness, both recognizing strengths in others and demonstrating empathy and compassion,” Hinz says.””
  • A Year (or More) of Reading with Gratitude with Vicki Palmquist: “You could use this book to teach compare-and-contrast but I hope first and foremost you will use it to offer hope and embrace a community of people who are each unique and valued.”
  • Children’s Book Corner with Judy Bradbury: “We Belong celebrates humanity and our ability to make our small corner of the universe bigger and better and less intimidating.”
  • Star  Tribune:  “an anthem to multiculturalism and inclusiveness”
  • Lerner Books Blog: “Carol rejected the manuscript, but said, “I love, love, love those two stanzas of rhyming verse you wrote for…”
  • Blissfully Bookish: An interview for writers, including (gulp) marketing advice.
  • Pioneer Press: “…a rollicking picture book that teaches kids they belong”
  • A Word Edgewise: “What new book begins with the word, WELCOME! and includes perhaps the most diverse illustrations of children in any picture book I’ve read in a long, long time and ends with the words, YOU ARE ENOUGH? I’ll tell you.”
  • Reflections on the Teche: “I love that it’s full of literary elements that make writing stronger. When we read good writing, we become better writers. The theme is set up by the title, but inside, the book is full of surprises.”

Share:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

JANUARY NEWS

I loved the holidays! And I'm so glad they're over. A quiet, snowy January is just what I need. This month, I'm working on two board book manuscripts, and I'm making materials to go with my 3 spring 2023 books.

I'm also busy prepping for upcoming author visits and setting my goals and priorities for 2023. Wishing you a lovely start to your own new year!

Are You Looking For…?

  • Poems for the Classroom
  • Poetryactions
  • 15 Words or Less Poems
  • Poetry Activities for Teachers

Tags

15 Words or Less Poems 30 Painless Classroom Poems anthologies A Rock Can Be... BookSpeak! Can Be... books classroom connections conferences and conventions equation poems events free verse haiku imagepoems image poems J. Patrick Lewis Kidlit Combos Laura's books Laura's poems my writing process National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku) National Poetry Month 2016 nifty news nonfiction books personal photopoetry poems poemsketch Poetry 7 poetryactions poetry books Poetry Friday Poetry Princesses poetry prompts poetry sisters Putrid rhyming nonfiction rhyming poems Riddle-ku school visits snowman-cold student poems teen/adult poems the business side videos Water Can Be...

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Laura’s Press Kit Components

Who Am I?
Short Bios
Awards & Honors
Author Photos
Book Covers
Book Reviews
In the Press
How I Became a Writer

Laura’s Author Visit Info

VISITS TO SCHOOLS
A Video Intro to Laura’s Author Visits
Virtual Visits with Laura
Small Writes: Write-Along Videos
Printable Flyer (print page 1 only)
Author Visit Programs
Typical Schedules
Author Visit Materials
Multi-Day Visits
Fees
Ordering Books for Events
Where Laura’s Been
Laura’s Report Card from Educators

OTHER PRESENTATIONS

For Libraries & Book Festivals
For Educators
For Writers

Post Categories

Copyright © 2009–2023 · Laura Purdie Salas · WordPress · Log in