You Matter, Luma

A small bunny. A big question: Do I matter?
 
Mom's Choice Awards® Gold Recipient
 
"Unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library social/emotional learning collections." — Midwest Book Review
 
★★★★★ "A heartfelt and thoughtfully crafted story that reminds readers that their presence alone has value." — Chicago Book Review
 
In a bustling forest where everyone seems louder, faster, and more certain, Luma the bunny feels small, quiet, and unsure where she belongs.
 
So she asks a quiet but powerful question:

Do I matter?
 
Together with her friends, Luma journeys through moments of wonder, doubt, and discovery — learning a beautiful truth:
 
Worth isn't something you earn. It's something you already carry inside.
 
Children will discover:

• Why they matter just as they are
• How courage and kindness begin from within
• That being different is part of their strength
• How small acts can create meaningful impact

 
Grounded in the psychology of mattering and emotional development, this tenderly illustrated picture book helps children ages 4-8 build confidence, resilience, empathy, and a deep sense of self-worth.
 
Recommended for families, classrooms, school libraries, and social-emotional learning collections.
 
A meaningful choice for bedtime reading, classroom discussions, social-emotional learning programs, and conversations about confidence, belonging, kindness, and emotional growth.
 
For readers who love:
The Rabbit Listened * The Invisible String * What Do You Do With an Idea?
 
"Your mattering isn't measured by how loud you are or how fast you run. It lives in your heart and shines through what you do with love."
 
If your child has ever felt small, unseen, or unsure where they belong, this is a story they'll carry with them long after the final page.
 
You Matter, Luma is the first book in the You Matter Series — stories designed to help children grow with confidence, compassion, courage, and the belief that they matter.

John Miles believes that every child carries a quiet, indestructible light—even if they sometimes forget it is there. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former leader in some of the world's biggest companies, John has spent his life learning what it truly means to lead with heart. But the most important lesson he ever learned didn't come from a boardroom or a ship; it came from his own childhood.

When John was five years old, a traumatic brain injury changed his world. Suddenly, he struggled to find his words and often felt invisible in a busy, loud world. Like Luma, he often felt like a "leaf caught in the wind," wondering if he was enough just as he was. John wrote You Matter, Luma for the child he used to be—and for every child today who has ever felt small, quiet, or unsure of their place.

As a parent and a researcher of human performance, John knows that the modern world can feel overwhelming for "youngest hearts." He has dedicated his work to the science of mattering, bridging the gap between clinical developmental psychology and the simple magic of a bedtime story. His goal isn't just to tell a tale, but to give parents a way to talk about deep self-worth, empathy, and the truth that significance isn't something we earn through grades or trophies—it is something we are born with.

John is an award-winning author of over 20 international honors, including the Mom's Choice Awards® Gold. While he has interviewed over 700 of the world's most famous thinkers on his podcast, Passion Struck®, his favorite conversations happen during walks in Clearwater, Florida, with his wife, Cori, and their two dogs, Bentley and Luma.

John's mission is simple: to make sure no child ever feels unseen. Through his books and his global kindness initiative, the Pass the Ripple challenge, he is helping a new generation of "little ones" realize that when you know you matter, you have the power to change the world.