I Can Be Anything! Don't Tell Me I Can't

Reviewed by: Margy Soule - Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: June 13, 2018

Review

This is Diane Dillon's first solo book after the death of her husband and decades long co-illustrator, Leo. It works. Each page shows a young bi-racial girl, Zoe. In the corner of each double spred, Zoe is doing something realistic in today's time such as listening to the inside of a shell.The larger illustrations show her doing something bold in the future such as scuba diving as an oceanographer. It is the voice inside her head, not an outside force, that tries to tear her down. On each page, she contradicts the negative doubting voice and stands up for her dreams. Finally, the negative voice says, "You don't know what you want to be, do you?" and Zoe shoots back "I'm not grown up yet. I can anything...but first I have to learn to read... and read...and read! And I'll read books about all the things I can be." This upbeat text fits right into a growth mindset and and "not yet" message so important to young learners.Recommended for most collections.

Overall Book Score: very good