We Are Shapes

We Are Shapes is acclaimed illustrator and animator Melinda Beck’s debut children’s book. Pitch-perfect for a preschool audience, this board book introduces shapes and explores themes of teamwork and resilience.

Much the way children would introduce themselves on the first day
of preschool, We Are Shapes begins with each shape’s introduction. Among them are the those one might expect to see – a rectangle, a circle – but there are also nontraditional additions – a lumpy and a squiggly – imaginative shapes Beck designed to affirm creativity and experimentation.

Readers join this adorable cast of shapes as they stack themselves in different formations, endeavoring to find one in which they all fit. Through several experiments and learning by trial and error, Square, Rectangle, Triangle, Circle, Squiggly and Lumpy ultimately come together to form a house – collectively achieving something that they could not have by themselves.

Featuring sixteen color illustrations aesthically inspired by the twentieth- century Russian Constructivist children’s books, this charming board book is an artful take on the evergreen topic of shapes. A fit tool for interpersonal development, We Are Shapes’ emphasis on inclusion, cooperation, and valuing uniqueness teaches young readers everywhere that we are far stronger together than alone.

“I wanted to create a book that is deceptively simple. Playful and active, this is, on the surface, a book about learning shapes both traditional and experimental. On a deeper level, it is about the power of collaborative play and celebrating our differences – two vitally important concepts for children to embrace.” – author Melinda Beck