I Am Quiet

A Story for the Introvert in All of Us

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 12 Apr 2022 | Archive Date 12 Apr 2022

Talking about this book? Use #IAmQuiet #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Goodreads Best Children's Book of 2022
Kid's Indie Next List Pick


Emile is not shy—he is quiet.  
 
Emile may seem timid and shy on the outside, but on the inside he is bustling with imagination. While grownups and even other kids may see Emile as the shy kid who doesn’t raise his hand in class, we know that Emile is actually a high-seas adventurer, a daring explorer, and a friend to wild beasts.
 
This story honors and encourages the beauty of knowing ourselves for exactly who we are. Emile’s world shows us that the mind of a quiet child can be as rich, expansive, and bold as that of any other (more extroverted) child.
Goodreads Best Children's Book of 2022
Kid's Indie Next List Pick


Emile is not shy—he is quiet.  
 
Emile may seem timid and shy on the outside, but on the inside he is bustling with imagination. While...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781611809848
PRICE $16.95 (USD)
PAGES 32

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)

Average rating from 32 members


Featured Reviews

If I had a dollar for every time someone called me shy or told me to come out of my shell, I would have an entire floor of my house that was nothing but books. This is perfect for the quiet child (or adult). It really helps us introverts feel understood and would make a wonderful gift.

Was this review helpful?

I Am Quiet by Andie Powers is a fantastic book that celebrates introverted people's abundant imaginations and mindfulness that they bring to the world. This is an excellent book for teachers to keep in their 'Back to School" library selections to bring awareness, appreciation, and acceptance to the quiet children. The simple text is accompanied by bold and colorful illustrations. Highly recommended!

Advanced copy gifted by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I Am Quiet is a delightful story about Emile (based on the author’s daughter), a very creative boy with a lively imagination. He sees worlds underground and in the sky. He speaks to animals but not always to people. But when a neighbor tells him that he’ll come out of his shell, his mother answers that when you listen to a shell, you can hear the ocean sing. I love that! This is a beautiful book for quiet children everywhere. After all, as Emile says “Answers can be quiet…Strength can be quiet…Friendship can be quiet.” 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andie Powers and Shambhala Publications, Inc. for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I had a feeling I would love this book from the moment I read the title and description and boy did it not disappoint!! The illustrations are adorable and work perfectly with the overall theme of the story. I have so many students in my classroom that can relate to being known as shy when they are simply just quiet! I cannot wait to purchase this book for my classroom!

Was this review helpful?

A powerful story for introverted kids. As an introvert myself, I found this story both moving and deeply empathetic. Quietness is not shyness and quiet children are often misunderstood as being bashful, when really they just have such rich inner lives that they are comfortable with silence. I loved this story and would recommend it for all kids, introverted or not to help them develop understanding and vocabulary about themselves and their introverted friends.

Was this review helpful?

As a misunderstood introvert, I related to this book. Through the protagonist, Emile, the story draws the distinction between being quiet and being shy. They are so not the same thing! It also shows the rich inner world introverts can possess and how they interact with other people in their own way. There were examples of how those around them make assumptions about their quietness. I read this via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Was this review helpful?

I was gifted a copy of this book from @netgalley and Shambhala Publications in exchange for an honest review. This book is available April 12, 2022. ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What a great book for those students that are shy and unsure of themselves. I think this book would be a great conversation starter for a primary classroom.

Was this review helpful?

I Am Quiet is a beautiful children's book about a boy who may seem quiet, but has a very rich life. Emile prefers to be quiet, observe, and have adventures by himself. I loved the illustrations and how much joy he gets from his quiet interior and exterior world, from his solo adventures to meaningful friendships. This book would be perfect for children who prefer to be quiet and may feel different.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Love the perspective this book gives! Everyone thinks a quiet child MUST be shy or needs to change, but as a teacher, I see all kinds of kids every year and each one is wonderful in their own way and I love how this book celebrate that!

Was this review helpful?

As an introvert who is raising an introvert, this book spoke to me. The writing and illustrations were beautiful. And the reminders that quiet is a perfectly valid way to be were much appreciated. I would recommend this book to anyone with a "quiet" child who might need a reminder that quiet is okay.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

As an introverted teacher I adore this book. I wish I could share it with all of my parents. Quiet is not the same as shy. There is nothing 'wrong' with being shy. In the book Emile explains that she may be quiet on the outside, but inside there is a world of imagination at work. Emile helps us remember that when you are quiet on the outside you can observe and notice the world around you in a way that you can't otherwise. Quiet is strength.

Was this review helpful?

This is a book I would have loved to have as a child-- I loved the message, including the author's note at the end. Beautifully creative illustrations to accompany the story. Such an important book for kids of ALL personality types to read, whether it's to see someone like them and know that it's okay to be quiet-- or for more outgoing kids to understand the beauty of being quiet.

Was this review helpful?

In reading books that are intended for children I am reminded of the beauty of words. One can say so much & have words carry immense weight, without needing every letter in the alphabet to align to do so. How refreshing & hopeful one is left feeling coming across a book such as this wherein the innermost child of many can be seen wandering amongst the pages.

I am quiet & so is Emile, the main character of this poetic story that follows him in detailing why he does not feel pressured to speak as others do. I do not need to write an essay formatted rationale of why it is important & valuable to have stories reflect the voices of every individual. Should you have ever found yourself humbled by the recognition that an author’s words have granted you, you have felt as I have upon reading this story.

In his life, Emile wanders silently. He is not shy, he is not unsure or confused, he is simply quiet. He has parents who reassure him that the way he lives his life is perfectly OK & that he does not need to be as others are; he is enough in all the ways which make him who he is. Emile tells the reader about all the adventures he experiences in his silence; he voyages across the vast expanse of the universe & meets entities unknown. So too does he become acquainted with many of those who are overlooked by the rapidity of speech; the quiet footsteps that Emile takes allow him to meet the creatures that inhabit our world alongside us in intimate ways.

Powers has made Emile a real representation of many of us & as a parent with a child who is quiet, & as a grown person who is so themselves, it is a welcome story we read through the peaceful transitions of happiness, hopefulness, love & wonder that Emile experiences in this short poetic book. Should you be seeking to reinforce the validity which is needed to those amongst us who are still growing, to confirm that it is OK to say nothing at all; that the way we communicate does not need to be in words but, with our presence & support & our diligence with showcasing love — this book is one you should invest in reading.

The phenomenally painted illustrations highlight the depth which the prose seeks to emit. I am simply astounded by every piece of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Shambhala Publications, Inc & Andie Powers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful story about a child named Emile who is quiet, and that’s ok. Throughout the book, grownups comment on how shy or quiet Emile is, but he knows that he contains multitudes on the inside. The reader is taken through pages of beautiful pictures depicting Emile’s rich imagination and creativity.

I was a hardcore introvert for half my life, and when I was 4 I remember eating lunch when the daycare lady told a new boy that he could, “sit next to Hailey and eat lunch, but she’s shy and probably won’t say anything.” 35 years later and I still remember the sting I felt eating my PBJ in silence and feeling dismissed and utterly humiliated.

Reading this book to my twin 4 year old daughters, I was able to have a candid conversation with them about how it’s ok to be quiet. Very thankful that books like this exist 💗.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andie Powers, and Shambhala Publications, Inc. for this digital ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I received an electronic ARC from Shambhala Publications, Inc through NetGalley.
I love how Powers makes a clear distinction between being shy and being quiet. Too often, we don't acknowledge that a child prefers quiet and that is okay. The book is told from Emile's perspective so readers see Emile's world both inside and out. The world inside is full of color and vividly imagined activities. Emile's outside world involves studying life and being fine with quietly observing.
Perfect book for readers to explore how they compare and contrast with Emile and make connections to cherishing quiet times.

Was this review helpful?

A big thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I'm always so thankful to have these opportunities!

Today we have a book that has a 4 triquetra rating of "I really liked it." I truly love this story, as someone who was a quiet child and a preferred introvert. I can be extroverted when social norms demand it, but I'm much happier when left to my own devices.

Emile is a quiet child who has a rich inner landscape and imagination, which are often overlooked in favor of chatty, extroverted behaviors. Emile likes to pretend, and imagine, and notice the small things that you often miss when buzzing around and being super active. There is nothing wrong with being extroverted, but often being introverted is overlooked, or frowned upon as being anti-social, or quiet, or rude even. Being introverted is none of these things and this story honors that fully. I really loved it.

This story is perfect for parents of little ones who are introverted, for adults who need a story that honors their inner child, or anyone who wants to get a look at how the "other side" interacts with with world.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I Am Quiet by Andie Powers is a wonderful children's picture book that teaches children that it's okay to be quiet. The story revolves around Emile, a young boy who is called shy and told to come out of his shell by those around him. But what the people around him don't know is that he has a rich imagination on the inside, even if it doesn't show on the outside.

Overall, I Am Quiet is a children's picture book with a message that all children need to hear. Many children are introverted, but the world continues to reward extroverts and say that there is something wrong with introverts. As an introvert myself, I would have appreciated reading this book when I was a child. I can see this book being taught in classooms everywhere. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!

Was this review helpful?

I love this book! Myself, my husband, and my children are all introvert neurodivergents, which makes this book very special to me. I think its important for children and adults alike to learn that being a quiet observant person is not a character flaw or something to be fixed, but just another valid personal characteristic that makes someone who they are.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. Where was this book when I was a quiet, not shy, child? I will definitely be ordering this for our children's collection. May still waters always run deep.

Was this review helpful?

This is a wonderful picture book about a quiet child named Emile. Throughout the book, adults are commenting on how shy Emile is an introvert and this book shows his rich imagination. The illustrations are beautiful and the message is powerful.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review I Am Quiet by Andie Powers.

I Am Quiet is the story of an introvert named Emile. Emile's quiet nature is often mistaken for shyness and adults often push him to "come out of his shell" and be more talkative. What they don't understand is that Emile is brave, bold, and adventurous in his own way. The illustrations do an excellent job of portraying what's going on beneath the surface as well as how those things are only visible to those that really know and care to look for them.

I Am Quiet is a great book for introverts of all ages as well as parents, caregivers, and teachers that have introverts in their life. This book is a great reminder that we are all unique in our own ways and we shouldn't push people to change just because we don't understand their uniqueness.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley and Shambhala Publications, Inc., Bala Kids for a free digital copy.

As a former quiet child, I totally relate to this book. It celebrates children who maybe mislabeled as adults as "shy" when they are really just living their own vibrant reality in their head. Adults need to read this book to help understand quiet children.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you #NetGalley and Shambhala Publications, Inc for the arc of 'I Am Quiet'.

A simple, sweet story of a young boy, Emile, whose introversion causes others to assume he is shy. However, Emile makes the important distinction that he is quiet, not shy. The illustrations are essential in showing Emile's rich inner life, full of imaginative worlds and deeper awareness of the details around him. In this way, the illustrations (silent, by nature) reify the quiet yet expressive experience and offer young readers an opportunity to perhaps experience a new perspective or see their own reflected.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: