Book Review: You Know I’m Here by Jon Raider

By georgelthomas on 13 Mar 2026 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today is Friday, which means it’s time for another review. This week, I’m sharing my review of Jon Raider’s sweet picture book, You Know I’m Here.

You Know I’m Here was initially published by Garden Wolf Publishing House on May 17, 2025, and is 47 pages long.

The Plot
You Know I’m Here presents a poignant poem written from the perspective of a mother who has passed away. It gently reassures a grieving child that their loved one is still near, present in their thoughts, memories, and heart, as they move forward in their lives.

Characters
The Mother
The mother is an ethereal presence, speaking directly to the child she left behind. Her voice is full of love and gentle reassurance of the fact that she’s never far away.

The Child
The child is a silent character, the emotional anchor of the poem. We know nothing about them other than that they have lost their mother, but we don’t need to, because it’s the message of the poem that’s important.

Writing Style
The poem is beautifully written and is imbued with such powerful emotion that you can’t help but ‘feel’ when you’rereading. Perhaps it’s because I resonated deeply with the words, having lost my own parents when I was young, but I got goosebumps from start to finish.

The writing is heartfelt, and the tone is gentle and tender, offering reassurance to young readers or listeners, without minimising the depth of loss.

Illustrations
Noa Ne’eman’s artwork is absolutely stunning and pairs perfectly with the poem. The imagery depicts a lantern ceremony organised by the Myra’s Kids Foundation, a camp helping kids navigate loss (named after the author’s mother), where the poem is read aloud to symbolise the connection between the stars and the lanterns released onto a lake beneath the night sky.

The use of both warm and cool-toned colours is brilliant and creates such beautifully magical spreads; I think children will be mesmerised by each page.

Final Thoughts
You Know I’m Here is a tender, understated, beautifully crafted picture book that validates the experience of little ones as they begin to wade through the murky mire of the grieving process.

Through heartfelt poetry and evocative art, the book conveys the core truth that love—and the presence of those we’velost—remains with us always.

I am giving this one 10/10.

Have you read You Know I’m Here yourself or to your child? What did you think?

Thank you, as ever, for stopping by!

Until next time,

George