I Am Perfectly Designed

“𝗜 𝗔𝗺 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱” is one of my go-to books on father-son relationships. Written by Karamo Brown of Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye’ this book is presented as a conversation between a father and a son about celebrating exactly who you are. The affirmation has a soothing effect on readers as they talk about the father’s love for the child when he was a baby and journeys through time, thinking of the future when the boy will eventually leave home – all from the child’s point of view, through a dialogue.

What is remarkable is the complete absence of the mother, normalising families without a traditional mother-figure.

It is remarkable how Karamo Brown uses sparse language to add gravity and emotion – in reply to the boy’s question, “𝘋𝘢𝘥… 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦?” comes Dad’s short reply, “𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴” – as Anoosha works her magic through the illustration that oozes assurance. But the best is of course saved for the last, as the boy remembers sitting on his Dad’s shoulders when he was younger and hopes that perhaps, one day when he is older and taller, it will be his turn to reciprocate and carry Dad on his shoulders because after all, they are perfectly designed for each other…