You've heard these remarks before. Perhaps you've uttered them yourself. What if no one ever had any of these insecurities?

First-time author Sylvia Renee Patterson has worked with children who at times felt that they were ugly or strange looking or just didn't fit in, merely because of some physical difference. Her captivating debut book, Am I Beautiful?, is a love letter to every child, designed to prevent them from ever developing such insecurities.

Sometimes even the smallest differences can make a child or even an adult feel that they do not fit the norm. Sylvia wrote Am I Beautiful? to challenge today's standards of normality and expand the idea of what is "normal" or acceptable. When it comes to establishing what beauty is, why not start with our most precious gifts, our children, so that they never feel they're anything less than beautiful?