Book review: ‘We Need Everyone’ challenges children to find their gift
Reviewed by Alex Hebert
The world needs everyone to participate in their way with their special gift. This is what makes the world work.
We Need Everyone is the first book by Shamatttawa First Nation author Michael Redhead Champagne. He explains to children that we need to be respectful of our individual gifts. It is an inspirational book that inspires young readers to be supportive of one another’s gift and that everyone has their own talent.
This author believes we all have a gift and shows youth a path to discover their own. He is solution-oriented and passionate about building system literacy, encouraging volunteerism, and engaging communities to be involved in the design, delivery, and evaluation of any initiative that affects them.
I enjoyed how diverse and inclusive the illustrations were by Tiff Bartel, a Viet-Canadian multimedia artist. Both are based in Winnipeg and I think that it also reflects how diverse the prairie city is.
I was especially pleased with how the author doesn’t assume that it’s easy for everyone to understand what gift they have. He gives the reader three simple steps to help figure that out for themselves. Also, you’re not supposed to feel bad if you still can’t think of your gift and that others may see talents in you that you don’t see in yourself.
This book inspires self-reflection. It helped me think of my gifts, which include helping and teaching others, I enjoy playing games and watching baseball, and I like problem-solving. Many people have also told me that I am an inspiration to them for the amount of fundraising that I’ve done – I never necessarily thought of that as a gift before!
I highly recommend this book to teachers to read aloud to their class and challenge everyone to discover their gifts.
If we all celebrate each other’s gifts, it will make our communities stronger.
Michael Redhead Champagne, illustrated by Tiff Bartel, We Need Everyone. Winnipeg: HighWater Press: Winnipeg, 2024.
ISBN: 978-1774920114