William and his grandmother share their fears with one another in this gentle, thought-provoking picture-book from Norway. Asking his grandmother if she is ever afraid, and if so, of what, he is surprised by her answers. She is afraid of not seeing the squirrel in his oak tree, or the white flowers in bloom again. She is afraid of never hearing the birds singing again, or knowing that the magpie is building his nest. These are not the things Wiliam fears. He is afraid of angry dogs, stinging wasps and dangerous fires, of darkness and war, and of storms and sharks. When his grandmother confides that once she feared practically everything, but now she only fears losing what she loves, by dying and leaving it all behind, William replies that he'll be right there, where she can see him. Wherever she is then, once she is gone, she'll be able to see him, so there is no need to fear...

Originally published in Norwegian as Jeg er jo her, this poignant and ultimately uplifting picture-book about both childhood and late-life fears pairs the text of Norwegian journalist and children's author Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen and the artwork of Turkish-Norwegian illustrator and children's author Akin Düzakin, who also collaborated on Why Am I Here? I thought that the narrative of I'm Right Here was quite compelling, in a matter-of-fact, non-sensational kind of way. The contrast between William's fears, which are of the dangers of the world around him, and his grandmother's fears, which are of losing the beauty of the world around her, and the love of those close to her, is nicely done, and highlight the differing perspectives of youth and age. The conclusion, in which William offers the comforting idea that he will be right there, is also well done. William gains the perspective that his fears will change over time, and he puts his own current emotions aside, in offering solace to another. Grandmother gains the wisdom, through William's simple statement, to see that things will go on after her departure and nothing will be lost. Will she still be able to "see" William because she will still be there, through him, or will she be able to "see" him because she is looking down on him from some kind of heaven? This is not clear, and is left for the reader to ponder.

Whatever the case might be, Ørbeck-Nilssen's narrative is perceptive and thought-provoking, exploring issues of fear and how its changes over time, of death and the separation it brings, and of the love between the generations, and how it can help to defeat fear. Powerful stuff indeed! Düzakin's artwork is likewise powerful, and although I didn't quite care for his human faces, I thought many of his scenes were quite expressive. I liked how he used more gray tones, in the scenes depicting William's fears, and more colorful hues, in the scenes showing what Grandmother loves and fears losing. My two favorite scenes were the ones depicting the tree full of songbirds, and the one in which William is abroad on the sea in a tiny boat, with a massive shark bearing down on him. This was a high 4.5 stars for me, and would have been a rare 5 star title, if I didn't dislike Düzakin's faces. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about childhood fears, fear of death, and the loving bond between the generations. ( )

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This text is emotionally honest if occasionally heavy-handed. I am, however, willing to allow some degree of stiltedness because of the nature of translation. The illustrations are lovely and idiosyncratic. I don't see this working well as a shared reading experience or really for bibliotherapeutic intentions.

“I’m Right Here” is a story about Willie and his grandmother. The book talks about a subject that is difficult to talk about, especially with children, however very necessary. That subject is death. The reality is that every living thing, including those that you love and yourself, will die someday. This book addresses this reality in a way that children can understand and and be content with. I thought it did a wonderful job of developing two realistic characters, both with rich personalities. When talking about what happens after you die, the author stays away from religion, which would alienate some readers. The illustrations portray warm, green forest scenes, and when Willie speaks of fears, the pages are dark and bleak. I would recommend reading this book, especially to a child who is approaching a circumstance in which they will have to face death of a pet or family member.
Willie and Grandma are walking through the forest when Willie asks Grandma what she is afraid of. Grandma says, “that I won’t see the squirrels anymore”. Willie says that he is afraid of things such as big dogs and the dark. Grandma says she is afraid of not seeing the things she enjoys, including Willie. She says that when she is gone, she will be able to watch over Willie, and he will feel her presence as well.

A story about about fears. Grandma and William share their fear with each other. William is afraid of the usual things: dogs, sharks, etc. Grandma tells of her fears of what she will miss when she dies. As a grandmother this book hit home, I could totally relate to it. The illustrations are colorful and pleasant. [received as a LibraryThing review book] ( )

This unusual story is about a little boy named William who, while taking a walk with his grandma, asks her if she is ever afraid. They then compare their fears. The little boy is afraid of typical things that scare kids, like angry dogs, stinging wasps, dangerous fires, sharks, wars, thunder and lightning.

The grandmother, amazingly honest for a kid’s book, points out the things she is afraid of, such as never again seeing flowers in bloom, or hearing the birds sing in the springtime. The boy doesn’t get it.

Grandma explains that when she was young, she had fears more like those of the little boy. Now that she is old, “I’m just afraid of losing everything I love.” She explains:

“‘When we get old, we die,’ says Grandma, ‘and then I won’t be able to see you anymore.’”

He asks, couldn’t she see him from wherever she goes? And couldn’t she then still see the flowers and birds, and “everything”?

“‘You are absolutely right,’” says Grandma.

So, the boy concludes, Grandma needn’t be afraid anymore:

“‘No, I don’t need to be,’ she smiles, ‘when I can see everything I love.’ She ruffles Willima’s hair a bit. ‘Maybe you’ll see me too?’ ‘I guess I will,’ William says, and smiles back.”

Illustratrator Akin Duzakin uses a soft focus and an alternating palette to contrast the fears of the boy and the grandmother. The overall tone is of warmth and comfort, especially in the pictures that close the story.

Evaluation: This books provides a very nice way to teach small children about the different perspectives of children and adults, and to open discussions about fears in general and about death in particular. ( )