As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
40 pp.
| Little |
April, 2022 |
TradeISBN 978-0-316-54116-9$17.99
(2)
PS
Mira has lots of first days attempting new activities, but fear of failure prevents many second days. Take gymnastics, for example, a sport full of terrible what-if? scenarios for an anxious mind: "What if she fell? What if people laughed? What if she did it the wrong way?" Believing that everyone else is better or a "natural" talent, Mira never gives herself a chance; she accepts failure and thinks of herself as a "shadow" since she's not perfect. One day, all alone at the beach, she practices walking--and leaping--on a driftwood log, a makeshift balance beam. She falls but gets back up and tries again. After many more tries, "it wasn't perfect. But Mira did it." She may not be an expert, but she can still participate. Pencil, colored-pencil, and watercolor illustrations highlight the character's frustration and isolation from others. Mira appears against blue backgrounds, while pink-hued bubbles feature the activities from which she has isolated herself. The contrast between the front endpapers (stationary Mira, alone) and back endpapers (active Mira, part of a group) hints at growth to come. Give this book to perfectionists or to those who feel too anxious to try new things.