I Am Perfectly Designed

I Am Perfectly Designed, the debut picture book by father-son duo of Karamo Brown, culture expert for the Netflix series Queer Eye, and Jason Brown, follows the pair as they take a walk through the city.

From start to finish, I Am Perfectly Designed takes the form of a conversation between Karamo and Jason, an approach which allows young readers to hear firsthand the ease, humour and love with which they speak to one another. Most markedly is Karamo’s reminder to Jason that he’s “perfectly designed”. This simple yet powerful phrase instills within Jason confidence and worth while simultaneously functioning as a chorus throughout the book.

Sometimes, Dad, when I get mad, or sad, or confused, you wrap me in your arms. I like that.

Me, too. And I remind you that you are perfectly designed and wonderful. No matter what you’re feeling.

The vibrancy of illustrator Anoosha Syed’s colour palette perfectly captures the energy not only of the father-son relationship but also of the bustling city. As Jason begins to reminisce, Syed discerns this walk from previous ones with a single tree that bears different colour foliage on either side: the present is green, and the past is orange. And she expertly reinforces that each one of us is perfectly designed by showcasing people from different cultural backgrounds and family dynamics.

Together, father and son have created a wonderfully delightful ode “to loving who you are, exactly as you are”, an ode that parents will be eager to share and children will be moved to hear.