By Rashmi Sirdeshpande (author) , Ruchi Mhasane (illustrator)
"A joyful celebration of identity, family and heritage."
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
Hardback In Stock £12.99 £11.69
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November 2025 Book of the Month
‘I have a foot in two worlds’, says the little girl telling this story, ‘But I am so much more than that.’
Through a warm, engaging text and evocative illustrations, she shows us what that means, how her parents came to a new world to set up a home and start a family, the kindness they received, the hostility they faced too.
The pictures show us those two worlds, her friends and life at school, trips to see her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in India; celebrations lit up by sparkling lights in both countries; seaside holidays in the UK and Goa. Celebrating her dual identity she proudly describes all the experiences, history and people who have made her who she is.
With its varied settings, warm family scenes and positive, joyful storyline, this is a lovely book to share with young children of all backgrounds and will start them thinking about the things that make us who we are. Based on the author’s own story, it emphasises the things we all have in common while also capturing the beauty of having an identity formed in two worlds.
Discover that we are so much more than where we are from in this beautiful, poetic celebration of children with shared heritage, from a Diverse Book Award-winning team.
Read the full description
When people ask her where she is from, this little girl says she has a foot in two worlds: one in India, the country of her heritage, and one in the land her parents came to on a plane. But she is so much more than that - she is the memories, the music, the tastes, sights and sounds of both of those worlds, she is their shared history, and the people who fought for their freedom . . . but most of all, she is proud to be herself.
A poetic story about a little girl with Indian heritage who discovers all of the amazing things that make her who she is.
Rashmi Sirdeshpande is a lawyer-turned-storyteller, who was part of the Penguin Random House Write Now mentoring programme in 2018. As a British Indian child, she didn't get to see many children like her in the books she read, so she is now passionate about writing stories that children from these backgrounds can relate to.
Commenting on what inspired her to write Good News, Rashmi Sirdeshpande said: “I grew up loving comics, picture books, puzzle books and fact books. Anything that sparked that WOW feeling inside me. Anything that carried me away! Because books are the cheapest ticket to absolutely everywhere - real and fantastical. And I love that today especially, there really is something for everyone out there. I wrote Good News to give young readers the facts about the biggest challenges we face on this planet but also the facts about how far we've come already, how much amazing work is being done, and how we have so many reasons to be hopeful about the future. Good News is the hardest, truest, most important thing I've ever written and to see it shortlisted for this incredible award means everything to me. Everything.”
Photo credit Charlotte Knee
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Discover that we are so much more than where we are from in this beautiful, poetic celebration of children with shared heritage, from a Diverse Book Award-winning team. When people ask her where she is from, this little girl says she has a foot in two worlds: one in India, the country of her heritage, and one in the land her parents came to on a plane.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed This Is Who I Am and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
This Is Who I Am features in the following genres: Featured Books for 3+ readers, Featured Books for 5+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Stories in Verse, People / Places, PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Picture storybooks, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Countries, cultures and national identity, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s picture books, Children’s: picture books, activity books, early learning concepts, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
This Is Who I Am was written by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and published by Andersen Press an imprint of Andersen Press Ltd
This Is Who I Am has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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