The books’ wordless covers emphasize their endless possibilities. The child’s eagerness to go, with two books under an arm and one in their hand, suggests that this is a favorite destination. 4-8)Ī Black child, with hair in two puffballs tied with yellow ribbons, a blue dress with a Peter Pan collar, and black patent leather Mary Janes, helps Grandmother with the housework, then, at Grandmother’s suggestion, heads to the library. A final spread allows each depicted girl to tell readers a little bit about herself-a sweet touch that drives home this reminder that girls should be supported in exploring their limitless imaginations, regardless of the naysayers.Ī great way to spark real-world conversations with other girls “like me.' (Picture book. Each girl is seen using her imagination to make her reality “better than the dream.” Illustrating this, a dozen girls in ebullient dress-up pose on the beach, all unapologetically themselves. Adult readers may need to help children understand what is taking place in the story, at the heart of which is the power of play. There is much that Johnson doesn’t say that Crews uses pictures to illustrate. The illustrations show the three meeting on an urban playground and then encouraging other neighborhood girls of many races to join them in standing up to the doubters. Each of three girls is a star in her own dream only to hear people shouting in the background that what she wants simply isn’t possible. Johnson’s spare words of encouragement are in harmony with Crews’ large double-page spreads blending photos of black and brown girls into a collaged dreamworld. Johnson and Crews are seasoned talents whose collaboration here shines. A book to inspire the next diverse generation of girls to keep working toward breaking glass ceilings no matter how often the world tells them, “A girl like you needs to stop.”

A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson