My Name

by Supriya Kelkar, Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)

Overview

My Name is an inspiring picture book that encourages kids to celebrate themselves and all the things that make them unique, especially their name.

Your name means you’re different
Your name means you’re you

When an Indian American boy starts school in a new classroom, one child can't pronounce his name properly, which leads to giggles amongst his classmates. Later at home, his parents remind him of how special he is — and how his unique name reflects that.

With lush illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat, award-winning author Supriya Kelkar writes a stunning tribute to the word that identifies each of us the very most — our name, reminding readers of the beauty in celebrating difference, taking pride in uniqueness, and helping others to do the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374314637
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	08/01/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	338,885
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Supriya Kelkar is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter who grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. Winner of the New Visions Award for her middle grade novel Ahimsa, Supriya has worked on the writing teams for several Hindi films, including Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Eklavya: The Royal Guard, India’s entry into the 2007 Academy Awards.

Sandhya Prabhat is an independent animator and illustrator from Chennai, India, who resides in the Bay Area. She has a master’s degree in animation and digital arts from New York University.

Editorial Reviews

08/07/2023

While readying for the first day of school, a child prepares to learn classmates’ names: “Say your new friends’ names out loud/ And the name belonging to you/ Carefully, kindly/ And they will too.” But Kelkar’s fluid lines stagger as the protagonist introduces himself, only to experience “wrinkled foreheads/ And twisted tongues.” After a schoolday of feeling that “I’M DIFFERENT,” parental reassurances remind him that his name means he is cherished and wrapped “together/ With those who came before.” Prabhat’s saturated palette mixes warm and cool tones to portray the boy interacting with others and slowly learning to self-affirm that “My name means I’m me./ Your name means you’re you.” The protagonist and his family read as South Asian; classmates are shown with various skin tones. Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 3–6. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

2024 Notable Social Studies Trade Books List

"The lyrical text is rhythmically pleasing and constructed to pointedly contrast the boy’s initial shame with the love, pride, and joy his name evokes. This contrast is evident in Prabhat’s bold digital illustrations as well; the artist adeptly uses a palette of blue, green, orange, and brown to capture and express the protagonist’s shifting emotions." —School Library Journal, starred review

"After a school day of feeling that 'I'M DIFFERENT,' parental reassurances remind him that his name means he is cherished and wrapped 'together/ With those who came before.'" —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 08/25/2023

Gr 2–4—Gr 2–4 On his first day of school, an Indian American boy is encouraged by his parents to honor the many names he will encounter, along with his own: "Say your new friends' names out loud/ And the name belonging to you/ Carefully, kindly/ And they will too." At school, however, others have difficulty pronouncing the boy's name, which makes him feel ostracized, different, and alone. When he gets home, his parents help him to understand that different doesn't mean bad and, what's more, that his name, culture, and heritage are all things to be proud of and to celebrate—a message he joyfully takes back to his classmates: "My name means I'm different/ Just like yours does too./ My name means I'm me./ Your name means you're you." While there is certainly no lack of titles on the topic of names, Kelkar's take is lovely and affirming. The lyrical text is rhythmically pleasing and constructed to pointedly contrast the boy's initial shame with the love, pride, and joy his name evokes. This contrast is evident in Prabhat's bold digital illustrations as well; the artist adeptly uses a palette of blue, green, orange, and brown to capture and express the protagonist's shifting emotions. Notes from the author and illustrator speak to their own experiences with their names. VERDICT A worthy contribution. Pair with Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow's Your Name Is a Song or Juana Martinez-Neal's How Alma Got Her Name for a lesson or story time on the beauty and power of names and identity.—Lauren Strohecker

School Library Journal

2023-05-09
An Indian American boy’s excitement for his first day of school is tempered when his classmates can’t pronounce his name.

Their “wrinkled foreheads” and the giggles that follow make the young boy shrink into himself. He worries that his name conjures “far-off smells,” “the hot sun,” and “sweaty crowds,” and he feels lost in their "frosty stares." With downcast eyes, he turns to his parents for an embrace. His parents turn each of his hurt feelings into a vision of joy and healing. They gently remind him how his arrival meant “wrinkled faces / Creased into smiles.” They teach him that his name signifies his culture and his roots and encourage him to celebrate his differences. The vibrant illustrations mirror the unnamed boy’s moods with cool greens and blues moving into reds and oranges as he grasps his unique identity. Though the boy’s heritage is richly conveyed through warm brown skin tones and traditional Indian clothing and food, the story lacks the depth of other recent books celebrating names and cultural identities. The text leans heavily on the parents’ perspective, with little engagement to encourage the child’s own realization of his uniqueness. In the author’s and illustrator’s notes, Kelkar and Prabhat share that they’ve had similar experiences and discuss learning to embrace the beauty and power of their names. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Winning illustrations level up an uneven story. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews