Spring 2026

This Is Who I Am

  • Interest Level: Preschool - Grade 3
  • Reading Level: Grade 2

What does it mean to belong to two cultures?

One little girl explores how she has come to be who she is. She knows that she is much more than where she is from. Her family came from Asia, but there is more to it. She is also her ancestors, their traditions, and their environment, and she is her parents, who bravely moved to a new country, and their dreams, and she is all the people who helped along the way and even the people who didn’t. She is her own memories, from family visits and the journeys back home to new traditions and old customs. She is every teacher and every book that has opened her eyes to the world around her.

She is all her experiences and those of everyone who came before her. As she navigates through her rich heritage, she finds she feels proud to be who she is. With beautiful illustrations, rich prose, and a loving message, This Is Who I Am is a celebration of identity and the richness of diversity.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-4338-4891-9
On pre-order until 04/07/2026
$18.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on library bound hardcovers and all eBook and eBook with Audio editions when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Preschool - Grade 3
Reading Level Grade 2
Genre Picture Books
Category Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diversity, SEL: A Self-Awareness, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: D Relationship Skills, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2026
Publisher Magination Press, American Psychological Association
Imprint Magination Press — American Psychological Association
Language English
Number of Pages 32
Publication Date 2026-04-07
Text Type Fiction
BISACS JUV039140, JUV074000, JUV039250
Dewey [E]
Dimensions 8 x 10
Guided Reading Level TBD
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Author/Illustrator note, and Note to adults

Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is a children’s author, with two young children who ask lots of questions. She writes nonfiction picture books that ignite children’s curiosity and fiction that crackles with imagination.

Illustrator: Ruchi Mhasan

Ruchi Mhasan studied at the Cambridge School of Art, UK. She works mostly in pencil and watercolor and enjoys capturing expressive gestures and movements, especially those of little children.