Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4--Coauthored by an NFL legend, a parenting expert, and a self-proclaimed "Picture Book Doctor," this glossy pep talk trumpets the rewards of courage and self-motivation. "You are the creator of the story of you," shouts the unseen narrator--so shrug off those voices telling you what you can or cannot do, and write your own story. In Menuau's likewise emphatic illustrations a young competitive runner using a prosthetic leg and another child using a wheelchair join a broadly relatable multiracial array of actively posed children, surrounded by showers of stars and joyfully engaged in digging up dinosaurs or buried treasure, dancing or catching a football, diving into the sea, rocketing through space, belting out tunes into a microphone, and like triumphs. But in other, quieter, more richly emotional scenes, a child simply envisions a future home and family and tenderly comforts a crying toddler. VERDICT A driving call to dream big--but with a refreshing hint that that's not the only measure of success in life.--John Peters
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Co-authors Johnson and Bush--celebrities in sports and media, respectively--joined by Van Cleave, urge kids to reach for the stars. "The story of you began the day you were born. With each passing year, as you grow and change, so does the story of you." These sentences bookend a double-page spread showing a brown-skinned child with curly dark hair in a simultaneous succession of five points of growth--from infant to toddler to young running child. Next, an illustrated roller coaster complements the text's reminders that every story has "ups and downs, twists and turns, excitement and mystery." The next pages suggest possibilities in children's futures, most of them exceptional. Rather than suggesting someone might play football, act, write, or study paleontology--rarefied in themselves--they might "score touchdowns," "light up a stage," "write a best-selling novel," or "investigate a new species." Social action gets a nod. More pages follow in which kids are urged to ignore outside voices of discouragement and to trust their inner voice in choosing clothes, actions, and words. More ego-boosting text ensues, always accompanied by lively, colorful, literally star-studded art featuring a diverse crew of kids. The upbeat tone of the text and art makes this a probable choice for a doting grandparent to read to a beloved young grandchild. Older kids may be inspired by Johnson's personal endnote about overcoming adversity to become a champion football player. A plethora of uplifting suggestions.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
