We Need Everyone

by Michael Redhead Champagne, Tiff Bartel (Illustrator)

Overview

Everyone has a gift. Every gift is different, and every gift is special. Our world needs you to share your gift.

What is your gift? How can you use your gift to help others?

We Need Everyone empowers children to identify their gifts and use them to overcome challenges, achieve goals, and strengthen communities. Inspiring and uplifting, this interactive picture book celebrates diverse cultures, perspectives, and abilities through playful illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774920114
Publisher:	Portage & Main Press
Publication date:	05/07/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael Redhead Champagne, born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, is an award-winning community organizer, public speaker, and a proud member of Shamattawa First Nation. Michael believes we all have a gift and shows youth the 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.

Michael leads by example and travels across Canada sharing his gift with others. Whether he is speaking to educators, youth, the business community or the not-for-profit sector his goal is the same, to help heal, shape and create a call to action for everyone.

Tiff Bartel is an award-winning Viet-Canadian multimedia artist based in Winnipeg. Her body of work includes illustration, filmmaking, design, animation, music, sculpture, and more.

What People are Saying About This

President and CEO of Kids Help Phone Katherine Hay

Wow! We Need Everyone is such a lovely story, full of wonderfully unique children. Michael has always been a champion for belonging, and that message comes through loud and clear in this uplifting, encouraging book. Michael has shared his gift, and his voice will inspire our youngest generation to find and share their own gifts. He has my love and respect for telling this story.

First Nations Child and Family Caring Society Cindy Blackstock

A reminder to us all to be kind to yourself and others and to remember that what makes us different is what makes us special and sacred! When everyone gives their special gift—the world becomes a more loving, fun, and fair place!

author of One Without the Other Shelley Moore

We Need Everyone is a book that has been needed for a long time! This book shows us why it is important to look for what people can bring to a community, rather than what they are missing or need to change. It also reminds us that every single one of us has something to offer, exactly as we are.

Juno Award-winning entertainer Fred Penner

We Need Everyone echoes a universal truth: we are in this world to be supportive and respectful of each other's gifts and talents. Michael's love for and commitment to this powerful idea is revealed on every page.

Editorial Reviews

An engaging, encouraging primer on how to develop one’s skills to make the world a better place.

Kirkus

Among@ParentsClub Book Recommendations

@ParentsClub

The gifts of children shine as bright as the stars in the sky…no gift is too small and no gift should be dismissed.

Penticton Herald

Perfect for a conversation about social and emotional skills….a great springboard to talk about the important skills we need as humans and how sharing our gifts impacts those around us.

@myliteracyspace

Champagne’s debut picture book presents a simple, practical call to action for young readers, making it clear that embracing one’s true self is beneficial not only for oneself but for the world around them. Tiff Bartel’s cheerful illustrations, via dynamic, active images, depict a diversity of children and their gifts, thereby complementing Champagne’s inclusive message.Recommended.

CM Association

We Need Everyone is populated by kids of all different shapes, sizes and skin tones, with different abilities and, of course, different interests and gifts. It’s as the title says: a strong, healthy, vibrant community needs everyone.

Winnipeg Free Press

We Need Everyone echoes a universal truth: we are in this world to be supportive and respectful of each other's gifts and talents. Michael's love for and commitment to this powerful idea is revealed on every page. - Fred Penner, Juno Award-winning entertainer

From the Publisher

2023-10-07
How can our individual gifts better the community?

We’ve all heard it said that so-and-so has a particular gift, but what does that mean? And how can young people discover theirs? As this book explains, a gift is a special talent or skill we cultivate not only to make ourselves shine brighter, but also to share with our community to make it stronger. If you’re not sure what your gift is, fear not! This book walks readers through three concrete steps to help them identify, cultivate, and use their gifts. Gifts help us individually “reach our goals and overcome challenges,” but the real magic happens when we use our gifts together to accomplish something we could never do on our own. “Some people call this activism,” the text continues. “I call this building community.” The author provides examples and highlights their social impact—some are more expected, while others may surprise readers. Gamers, for instance, are strong strategists who find novel solutions to challenges, while good friends “build healthy relationships,” which in turn lead to strong communities. With lively, colorful illustrations of children with diverse skin tones, hair types, and physical abilities, this is an engaging, encouraging primer on how to develop one’s skills to make the world a better place.

An inspiring book that encourages activism. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews