I'm Here

I'm Here
Written and Illustrated by: Peter H. Reynolds
Published: August 2011


At recess a boy sat by himself, watching the other kids as they ran and play. They were too loud for him so he sat off by himself. While he is sitting there a piece of paper is carried by the wind and lands in front of him. He folds the paper into a paper airplane and throws it, imagining he is sitting on the airplane and flying high into the clouds and stars. He imagines it almost landing and all the children at recess catching him and sending him back up. The paper airplane eventually lands; ending the boy's pretend flight. When a little girl brings the airplane to the boy, they become friends.


This book is really interesting because it was inspired by the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center.  The little boy in the story, while not explicitly recognized as autistic, definitely demonstrates some autistic traits. He sits by himself at recess, and views himself as separate from the other students, claiming "They are there. I am here." In his solitude he notices the feel of the wind and a leaf that lands beside him "for a visit." But the laughing and playing of the students is just "one big noise. A big drum." The boy's reaction to the piece of paper is interesting. He's excited the paper landed by him and ask it, "White rectangle. How did you find me?" However, on the next page, he knows that the paper doesn't want to be there, but he tells it "No worries, friend. I'm here." He then folds it into a paper airplane and sends it for its flight, imagining a higher, longer journey where the paper takes him with it through the sky.


The attitude the boy exhibits is exceptional. The paper is his friends, and is not just a paper, but a white rectangle. However, his view of what most would deem normal paper doesn't end there. His first reaction is to fold the paper and create a plane. He uses the plane to imagine bridging the gap between himself and his classmates. The wording of the story reflects this idea as the story starts by describing the playground noise as "splashes upon splashes of sound." He later claims that the stars that he flies by in his imagination "sparkle loudly, like voices on a playground. Splashes upon splashes of sound." The use of this repetition seems to highlight the boy's desire to be a part of the group at recess, but his inability to do so. This desire is furthered by his proclamation as he flies by the clouds, "I'm here!" His imagination seems to foreshadow the little girl bringing his plane to him, as the plane really did bridge the gap between here and there.


The illustrations serve only to enhance the insightful story. The boy looks the happiest- mouth gaping open, smile wide, arms extended in joy- when he states his presence among the stars. He's free and a part of those around him then. Additionally, he looks similarly content when the little girl sits with him at the end of the book. The illustrations also enhance the idea of the boy's solitude. On most pages, the drawing of the boy is rather small and surrounded by white space. An exceptional example of the illustrations enhancing and almost telling the story on their own is found on the first four pages. The book starts with two double-page spreads. In the first, there is a picture of many kids laughing a playing. On the second spread, the view pans out and we see our first view of the little boy, sitting so far away, hands over his ears, all by himself. At the end, the boy is still sitting in the same position, but the little girl has sat down in the exact same position, right across from him. The word at the top simply says, "Friends."


The physical text serves to enhance the illustrations and the story, as well. The author portrays excitement or emphasis with larger letters. He also uses letter size and placement to  portray the imaginary flight through the clouds and stars, writing the word "higher" in larger font going up the page in an arch. He continues the arch with the text, and as the plane descends, the words do, too. The font style is also reflective of the story. When the speaker imagines his classmates catching him, their assurance "We've got you!" is boldly written in a Times New Roman, whereas the majority of the text uses a font that appears more handwritten. The only other font change is the dialogue, the only dialogue of the story, between the little boy and the little girl at the end. For this bit of text the font, Arial, is fair compromise between the handwritten and the Times New Roman.


This book is an inspiration for all, both for those children who see the world a little differently and for everyone else. These two friends found each other, and the book serves to encourage others to reach out and find a friend.


Related Links: 
Peter Reynolds worked with FableVision to produce a pretty interesting animated clip based on this book. 
How to Make a Paper Airplane
Autism Speaks- another site for autism awareness and research