Join activities, celebrations, study groups, spiritual empowerment and education programs for young people, and more.
Baha’i beliefs address essential spiritual themes for humanity’s collective and individual advancement. Learn more about these and more.
Baha’is see the young as the most precious treasure a community can possess. In them are the promise and guarantee of the future. Yet, in order for this promise to be realised, children need to receive spiritual nourishment, such as can be found in the children’s classes happening all around the world.
Our family loves Melissa Charepoo’s books and her latest title, We Are One, is a gem. Centred on the theme of the oneness of humanity, this book (available in both English and Spanish) will help instil in the hearts of even the youngest children this unifying fundamental principle of the Baha’i Faith.
Melissa, gracious as ever, agreed to tell us a little about this book. We hope you enjoy our conversation:
I have always been fascinated by the images that metaphors in the Baha’i Writings create. For a while, I have had the idea of a book that celebrates those metaphors, that are very unique to our Faith. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 that I felt it was a priority. Like all of us, I was heartbroken and outraged by witnessing the evidence of the blatant racism and injustices our fellow black brothers and sisters must endure and survive daily. Hence, I felt the need to create something that would help parents, even in a small way, educate their children about the oneness of humanity. Together with We Are One, I created two other books that go into detail about the importance of striving for justice as a requisite for unity in diversity geared towards children 7 years and older.
I felt We Are One was an important book to establish the foundation for little children — as an asseveration that without a doubt we have all been created equal and that we are all one. It celebrates the Baha’i Teachings about the oneness of humanity that are central to the Faith. It differs from other books I have created in that it is more geared towards children 3-5 years old, which is a great resource for developing readers. I felt that this book was a necessary contribution for this age group because it explains in quite simple terms, and with images inspired in the natural world how we are all one humanity.
I did extensive research on the metaphors about the oneness in the Baha’i Holy Writings. Starting with children’s prayers and including the classic Baha’i song “We Are Drops”, I also researched the metaphors in many titles such as Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, and Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha. I included most of the metaphors about oneness I could find: 14 in total.
Families are loving the book. I have been getting beautiful messages, pictures, and videos of how much their children are enjoying it. Many have gifted the book to their friends – who practice other religions – and they are loving it too. It’s always humbling to hear stories about how something you have created with so much love is being received by others in the same spirit.
Since I intended the text of the book to be limited in scope, my goal with the illustrations was to produce the most beautiful and ludic images I could create. Truly an ode of love to the metaphors written by Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha. I wanted to honor Them and Their Teachings about the oneness of humanity.
I’m currently working on multiple projects. I’m especially excited about a couple of books about the life of Abdu’l-Baha in honor of the centenary of His Ascension.
You can purchase We Are One, along with other titles by Melissa, on Amazon and the US Baha’i Bookstore.
You may also wish to check out Melissa’s shop on Etsy, where you can find decorations and children’s activities for Baha’i holy days. Her website, delighted-hearts.com, is also resource-rich and definitely worth visiting!
"*" indicates required fields
Join activities, celebrations, study groups, spiritual empowerment and education programs for young people, and more.
Horizons is an online magazine of news, stories and reflections from around individuals, communities
and Baha’i institutions around Australia
Baha’i beliefs address essential spiritual themes for humanity’s collective and individual advancement. Learn more about these and more.
We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their cultures; and to elders both past and present.
The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent authoritative views of the Baha’i Faith.
Visit the site of the
Australian Baha’i Community
and the Baha’i Faith Worldwide
