What Are You?

Christian Trimmer

Oct 2022 · Macmillan Young Listeners · Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

About this audiobook

This program contains original sound design.

From Christian Trimmer comes What Are You?, a brilliant, new early-listener audiobook brimming with warmth and playfulness that explores questions of race and identity.

When a puggle meets two new poodle friends, there is a question the poodles feel they must ask.

What are you?
What am I?
Yes, what are you?
I am a dog.
No, what are you?

So begins a conversation about family and identity, and about the things we're good at... and why we're good at them.

Brimming with warmth and playfulness, What Are You? is an exemplary audiobook for early listeners. Equally funny and thoughtful, it includes prompts to facilitate important first conversations about stereotypes and bias between child and adult.

A Macmillan Audio production from Roaring Brook Press.

Ratings and reviews

Oh my gosh, so adorable! I'm certain the pictures in the picturebook would be wonderful, but I had the audiobook to review - which is spectacular. If possible, I'd suggest folks purchase both so they can listen, read, and look together. Christian Trimmer's What Are You? is aimed at small kids, but the message is timeless. What someone looks like on the outside doesn't give us insight into their likes and skills! Race, culture, and gender don't determine these things.

About the author

Christian Trimmer is a children's book writer and editor. He is the author of Simon's New Bed, Teddy's Favorite Toy, Snow Pony and the Seven Miniature Ponies, and Wombat, the Reluctant Hero. He lives with his husband in Hillsdale, New York.

Mike Curato is the award-winning author and illustrator of the Little Elliot series and Where is Bina Bear?, and has also illustrated a number of other books for children. Mike lives in Northampton, MA with his Jack Russell beagle mix pup, Leia.