I recently had a chance to review Mommy, Am I American? (June 20, 2020), by author Aila Malik—a first generation Pakistani-American, lawyer by schooling, nonprofit executive by trade, and mother of three.
This is a great book for anyone who isn't sure quite if they feel American because they're different than those around them. It has a solid definition of patriotism, that isn't just about having a cultural history in America, but is about being fair and inclusive.
The imagery in the illustration work is fitting for the book, both in terms of the theme and in terms of the emotions - love, sadness, nostalgia, fear, and hope.
Malik describes it as “a love story to the American ideals of freedom and opportunity that so many people, directly and indirectly, sacrificed themselves for...and signing off with a hopeful plea for equity and community kindness.”
Mommy, Am I American? made its debut on Amazon as a #1 New Release for Children's American History. Mommy, Am I American? is not a book about partisan politics. It is about a joint vision of an equitable and inclusive America, and an expression of gratitude to all those who have championed steps towards that end. The book references American heroes Sacagawea, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, John F. Kennedy, Cesar Chavez, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Barack Obama.
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