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I Have the Right to be a Child by Alain Serres

Title: I Have the Right to be a Child

Author: Alain Serres

Translator: Sarah Ardizzone

Illustrator: Aurélia Fronty

Publisher: Phoenix Yard Books

Date Published: 2012

Format: Paperback

Genre:

Book Category: Picture Book

Age Range: 6-8

Original Title: First published in French as J'ai le droit d'etre un enfant, Rue du Monde, France, 2009

Country of Origin: France

I Have the Right to be a Child

by Alain Serres
Age Range: 6-8

Creating a picture book on the articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child could be considered a challenge, but it is one that French author Alain Serres has risen to with aplomb. Written by the UN in 1989, the Convention comprises of 54 articles that has since been ratified by 193 countries around the world. Despite the complex subject matter, Serres has deftly managed to put these articles into accessible language that children can understand.

The text adopts the format of a question – “Do I have the right to discover what makes a true friend?” or “Why does any child have to experience weapons of war?” Set in this way it encourages children to think about what the questions might mean. Translated from the French in clear, straightforward language by award-winning translator Sarah Ardizzone, a range of topics is covered that include: family, food and water, health, housing, poverty, education, gender, race, disability, citizenship, environment, war and freedom of speech.

Each double-page spread illustration by Aurélia Fronty has an almost child-like quality with their glorious mix of rich, vibrant colours. The images clearly clarify the message of the text - “Can I rely on grown-ups for shelter from disasters and bad experiences raining down on me?” is accompanied by three children sheltering under a large umbrella from the rain; “Do I have the right to Express Myself Freely?” is accompanied by a child holding a large sheet of paper with a jumble of letters from the alphabet. Children from different countries and cultures are also indicated in the narrative of the pictures.

Endorsed by Amnesty International UK, this is an ideal multi-layered teaching resource as well as a book that can be used at home too. It will encourage discussion about what it means for children to have rights in the world today. I have the Right to be a Child is a truly unique book that should have pride of place on any bookshelf.

This is the Canadian edition published by Groundwood Books, 2012.

If you are a child, you deserve rights. You have the right to safety, shelter, food and water, education, a clean planet—and the right to unequivocally be a child without worrying about fighting for and/or protecting your basic rights. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, what you look like, how you function, or who you call your friends and family. Selected for the IRA Notable Books for a Global Society List, the Children’s Literary Assembly 2013 Notable Children’s Books, and the USBBY Outstanding International Book List, I Have the Right to Be a Child is a handbook that everyone should read throughout the world to maintain children’s rights.

I Have the Right to Be a Child was written by French author Alain Serres and translated into English by Shelley Tanaka, and it is part of a series with two other books: I Have the Right to Save My Planet and I Have the Right to Culture. This particular book in the series emphasizes the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, conveying many of the rights on beautiful spreads. Each acrylic illustration by Aurélia Fronty contains colours as bright as the potential of each child.

When children read the book, they become aware of themselves as human beings who deserve rights. When adults read the book, they remember that children are, in fact, human beings who deserve rights. Therefore, this book is important for everybody to read. Perhaps reading a book about basic rights will inspire young readers to find out which rights they find the most needed and become activists themselves. After all, they deserve these rights.

Catherine Hurwitz (Aug22)