Be Strong

October 2, 2021

K-Gr 4-Soft watercolor pastel illustrations feature a young Black girl in a culturally diverse neighborhood, who feels she is simply not strong. She can't even scale the climbing wall in gym class, much less carry her overflowing backpack some days. She enlists advice from her family members on how to be strong. Her very wise parents and grandmother give her excellent advice. "Dad says being strong means showing up. Like when our neighborhood wakes up early to help people who have lost their homes." Little by little, the young girl puts one foot in front of the other and takes their advice. "Mama says...being strong means moving forward. 'Tiny steps are fine, ' she says, 'As long as they take you in the right direction.'" Going forward, the little girl turns her weaknesses into strengths, like helping friends with a math packet, making a special table at lunch so no one eats alone, or writing a hundred thank-you notes. "Strong people care. And sometimes cry. They help people, and let other people help them." VERDICT A timely message for audiences of all ages, and a strong purchase for all libraries.-Tracy Cronce, Stevens Point PSD, WI

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Starred review from July 1, 2021
A child faced with a challenge learns about and practices being strong. When this young narrator has to climb the wall in the school gymnasium, they don't reach the top the way classmate Cayla can. The kid feels the opposite of strong. Family members tell the protagonist that being strong gets you through life, so the kid asks, "How can I be strong?" Each family member has advice. Being strong can look like "showing up," "speaking up," and "not giving up." Each family member also lives an example of their words. The narrator, a small Black child with large, puffy hair, takes the advice of parents and grandmother. The kid practices being strong by showing up for friends, speaking out for peers, and not giving up when learning new things. The text is straightforward and immersive, with braided threads that are easy and delightful to follow. The illustrations are made up of busy spreads of neighborhood scenes and sparse scenes of individual and small group actions, making for a well-paced journey through the child's experiences with family and community. This exploration of the true meaning of being strong is layered and lovely, provoking deep thought, feeling, and conversation about this important virtue and its corollaries--perseverance, leadership, and caring. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Smart and warm. (Picture book. 3-9)

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