NABU and Model Jessica Michibata Release Children's Book 'I Love Being Me!'

I Love Being Me! is the latest children's book published by NABU—a nonprofit organization working towards improving global literacy—in collaboration with HP and supermodel Jessica Michibata. The book, written and inspired by Michibata, tells the story of Rachel, a Japanese-American girl navigating through a world full of bullying, racism, and xenophobia who ultimately learns to love and accept herself whilst fighting against these oppressive forces. 

Her story begins in rural Kansas, a nod to Michibata's own upbringing in rural Japan. Rachel goes about the world believing in the golden rule: treat others how you'd want to be treated, and with a childlike naïveté that all is good in the world. This naïveté ultimately gets destroyed following a classmate's racist taunting at school, plunging Rachel into a journey of self-discovery and acceptance with the help of family and friends. Her family and friends help her accept her differences but understand that no two people are the same and that's what makes us unique. 

Rachel's plight is largely inspired by Michibata's own experiences. Growing up in rural Japan, Michibata often wished that she was fully Japanese in order to fit in with her peers, but as she grew older, she realized that there is beauty in being different and learned to love her identity. Michibata hopes this book provides the same realization in its readers by giving them not only representation in their literature, but also the knowledge that being different is okay. 

In partnership with HP, I Love Being Me! is now available via online retailers, such as Barnes & Nobles and Amazon, for $12.95 in English, Japanese, and Mandarin. Also, as a part of HP and NABU's mission to improve global literacy and representation in media, I Love Being Me! will be distributed for free via NABU's app, "NABU: Multilingual Books for Children" to children in developing countries. 

Other translations of the book are also encouraged by NABU and can be submitted via their website.