Right Now

by Jessica Olien, Jessica Olien (Illustrator)

Overview

A beautifully lyrical and inspirational picture book about being present and loving who you are, from Jessica Olien, the author/illustrator of Adrift, The Blobfish Book, and Shark Detective.

What are you?

You’re big and small and loud and quiet. You are right now. And you are perfect.

A touching ode to the importance of individuality, respect, and self-love, just right for fans of The Wonderful Things You Will Be and The OK Book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062568281
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/17/2018
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jessica Olien is a writer, illustrator, and native midwesterner now living in Brooklyn. Her cartoons have been published by the New Yorker and her writing for grown-ups has been published in Slate, the Atlantic, McSweeney’s, Marie Claire, and many others. She is the author and illustrator of Shark Detective!, The Blobfish Book, Adrift, Right Now, and When a Tiger Comes to Dinner. Visit her at www.jessicaolien.com.

Jessica Olien is a writer, illustrator, and native midwesterner now living in Brooklyn. Her cartoons have been published by the New Yorker and her writing for grown-ups has been published in Slate, the Atlantic, McSweeney’s, Marie Claire, and many others. She is the author and illustrator of Shark Detective!, The Blobfish Book, Adrift, Right Now, and When a Tiger Comes to Dinner. Visit her at www.jessicaolien.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/29/2018
Olien (Hamsters Don’t Fight Fires!), who employs comedy to great effect in her stories of friendship and individuality, turns decidedly more contemplative. She asks readers to take a moment from their busy lives and distractions (there is nary a screen in sight in her artwork) and just be present: “You are right now. What are you?” Her affirmations center on self-esteem, self-love, and resilience, and they are largely accompanied by outdoor scenes. “You are a cloud and a ray of light,” she writes, as a girl relaxes on a grassy hill snuggling with her dog, a catcher’s mitt and ball by her side. Life isn’t always fun or fair—misbehavior happens, and in Olien’s best metaphor she shows how adults can make a child feel like a puddle they would rather avoid. The genuineness of Olien’s text and cartooning is irrefutable, and her understated digital illustrations help ensure that readers receive the messages that they contain multitudes and are capable of great things. But the simplicity of text and art also leave it feeling somewhat superficial. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Simple and reassuring...A lovely addition to social-emotional curricula and for one-on-one sharing.” — School Library Journal

Praise for ADRIFT: “[With a] tongue-in-cheek text…[this is] an offbeat selection for Valentine’s Day...sneak this one into a primary-grade science unit.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Praise for ADRIFT: “The simple storyline and art complement each other as readers are gently guided to comprehend the folly of judging a book by its cover.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for THE BLOBFISH BOOK: “Delivers big laughs.” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for SHARK DETECTIVE: “Delightful…the story is strangely inspirational...Many readers will demand further adventures-or imagine them for themselves.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for SHARK DETECTIVE: “Nothing slows the determination of chip-munching Shark in this lively romp through the mean streets. He’s one cool sleuth.” — School Library Journal

Praise for SHARK DETECTIVE: “Shark is an endearing goofball worth rooting for.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Praise for ADRIFT: “[With a] tongue-in-cheek text…[this is] an offbeat selection for Valentine’s Day...sneak this one into a primary-grade science unit.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Praise for ADRIFT: “[With a] tongue-in-cheek text…[this is] an offbeat selection for Valentine’s Day...sneak this one into a primary-grade science unit.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

03/01/2018
K-Gr 2—In this simple and reassuring picture book, Olien opens by asking readers, "You are right now. What are you?" and the bright digital drawings on white background show each child as an integral part of their experiences. (Check out the immediately recognizable "sidewise smile.") "You are a cloud and a ray of light. You are the tallest tree. An open door. A silly dance." One relatable instance after another concludes with the statement that "the whole universe lives inside you. And inside everyone else too." What will you do with all this? It doesn't matter, because "right now, you are here. You are you. And that is perfect.'" The concept of being part of a moment may take a little explaining to the target audience, but in one-on-one sharing it can open conversations about being present while still looking forward to the future. Matched with Amy Krouse Rosenthal's The OK Book, it will serve to alleviate children's existential anxiety about "what comes next" that contrasts to their acceptance of "right now." VERDICT A lovely addition to social-emotional curricula and for one-on-one sharing.—Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter School, Providence

School Library Journal

2018-03-04
Children enact a litany of positive exhortations."You are right now. What are you? // You are a cloud and a ray of light. / You are the tallest tree. // An open door. / A silly dance." From this metaphorical opening, Olien's text segues to affirmations that even if many people "don't see your beauty…someone does. // You are not bad. Even when you feel upset. / Or when you make a mistake." But then it turns back to the metaphorical, telling children that they are a "small squeak. // A loud purr. / A belly laugh," and so on. This is illustrated by scenes of children of many different skin tones and hair textures that, if not actively literal, attempt to evoke the feeling summoned by each statement. "You are a cloud and a ray of light" is illustrated by a picture of a brown-skinned, pigtailed child relaxing in the grass with a dog; even though there are a few clouds, readers will have to infer the ray of light. But in another scene, a child in a lion costume looks appropriately "ferocious." The overall gist of the book is unmistakable, and children will probably get the basic message that they matter, "No matter what you do. // No matter where you live. / Or what you look like." But will readers understand how the "whole universe lives inside" them? Far too allusive for its concrete-thinking audience. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews