February 1, 2019
Careers and skills of all kinds are on the roster of what girls can be and do.What do girls like to do, and what can they be? Spare spreads answer these questions with figures on white backgrounds taking charge in various settings. Large swaths of color highlight their roles and attributes. A girl pilot rides a dragon. Athletes pose with their equipment--a surfboard, a football helmet, a skateboard, and more. There are mountain climbers staking a "made it" flag, mechanics, gamers, and creators of art; there are chemists, adventurers, and bus drivers: Girls are "brave" risk-takers, "strong" fighters, and "powerful" leaders, including judges, queens, and presidents. In addition to skin tones that range from pale to dark brown, there is a musician in a wheelchair, a business owner in hijab, a gamer with locs, and two creative girls who appear to be Asian. Each spread has a page of text, no more than three lines, on the verso, facing a simple scene or figure at work on the recto. The inviting art in pastel colors shows smiling faces with rosy cheeks and big eyes. Between the art and the easy-to-read type, this selection will please independent readers as well as read-aloud crowds.While it may not be asked for again and again, this book, a Brazilian import, surpasses many recent girl power-themed picture books. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
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July 1, 2019
Archaeologists, mechanics, gamers, and more: girls can be "anything in the world!" declares Brazilian author/illustrator Ferrari in this earnest ode to girl power. While the translated text describing each occupation (and later, each character attribute) is unremarkable, the inclusive illustrations--which show a young business owner in a headscarf, a wheelchair-using musician, and a diverse cast of other girls--make the feminist message even more powerful.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)