Encourage optimism, engagement, and resilience with this positive-sprited picture book. The New York Times bestselling I Am series includes I Am Love and I Am Peace. School Library Journal praised I Am One as “attractive . . . makes complex ideas simple and opens doors for optimistic discussion.” On the first page, the main character asks a beautiful bird, “How do I make a difference?” They doubt their ability to make a difference because they are “so small.” When the bird gives them a seed, they realize that “beautiful things start with just One.” They can plant a seed and start a garden. They can also start a journey, paint a masterpiece, compose a melody, and break down walls. All these actions start with “one” thing: a first step, a first stroke of paint, a first musical note, and a first brick. Every movement and moment of change starts with purpose, with intention, with one. With me. With you. Includes a guided meditation and self-reflection activity. Also available: I Am Me I Am Yoga I Am Peace I Am Human I Am Love I Am Courage I Am . . . A Box of Goodness! K-Gr 3—Verde and Reynolds have found a timely niche for a collaboration that focuses on mindfulness. Dedicated to Greta Thunberg, this title features an adorable Black child with short dreadlocks and a rainbow-colored bird wondering how to make a difference. The answer is clear: One thing at a time. One seed planted, one stroke, one note, one step are all the beginning of something much larger. Verde's single lines of directive prose and Reynolds's charming watercolors with plenty of white space give readers opportunity to linger and ponder what will come after those "firsts." When the child breaks down a wall into its individual bricks, and another child is on the other side along with a friendly dog, the conceit is complete—the bricks become a pathway, relationships are built. The ripple metaphor that is introduced next will be new to young readers, and offers the discussion point that consequences to our actions can be positive. The lesson resonates in a classroom and library environment because there is no real story, just text that guides parents or educators and children through the steps. That this title is part of a series creates an opportunity for a thematic continuum in a social-emotional curriculum. VERDICT Best for shared reading, this attractive title makes complex ideas simple and opens doors for optimistic discussion. Recommended for general purchase.—Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter Sch., Providence "This attractive title makes complex ideas simple and opens doors for optimistic discussion." ― School Library Journal "Reynolds' loose, color-drenched illustrations radiate calm and peace, enhancing the meditative text's mood."― Horn Book Magazine Susan Verde is the author of the instant #1 New York Times bestseller I Am Human . Her books include The Museum , You and Me , I Am Yoga , I Am Peace , I Am Love , My Kicks , and Rock ’n’ Roll Soul . A certified yoga and wellness instructor, she lives in East Hampton, New York, with her family. Peter H. Reynolds is the renowned illustrator behind the bestselling Judy Moody, Stink, and I Am series, as well as many other award-winning picture books, including The Dot and Ish . He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts.