  | Girls on the rise Author: Gorman, Amanda | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
Girls and girlhood are celebrated in their many forms, not for how they look but for how they look into the face of fear.
| Illustrator: | Wise, Loveis |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (11/15/24)
Booklist (12/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 09/30/2024 "Who are we? We are girls on the rise," begins Gorman (Something, Someday) in validating lines that ring with tonal resolve. As the pages turn in this conceptual picture book, groups of individuals work in concert, lifting a banner and protesting as well as resting and playing. Digital artwork from Wise (Magnolia Flower) incorporates collage elements and embellishments in portraying the communal scenes. On one spread, figures pass dishes at a candlelit table, while other pages show youths helping one another in the face of fear, donning wings, and contemplating well-known luminaries including Frida Kahlo and Marsha P. Johnson. Lines that embrace intersectional girlhood ("Some of us go by she/ And some of us go by they") suggest both that "we are different people,/ Each of us a different shape and size,/ A different wonder and a different wise" and that "in our hearts, we are the same: We are a power, a movement,/ Pretty powerful." As characters sow seeds and nurture the earth, final pages reveal a lush, easeful portrait: "Because when one girl is one the rise,/ It means everyone else is, too." Characters are portrayed with various abilities, body types, and skin tones. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) - Copyright 2024
Booklist - 12/01/2024 Harnessing her gift for poetry, Gorman delivers an inspiring call to action for young readers, empowering them through uplifting rhymes that fill each page with purpose. Through just a few stanzas per page, Gorman captures the essence of girlhood and its many forms, showing how every individual adds to a collective striving for justice, peace, and positive change. The words flow beautifully, encouraging young girls to see themselves as part of a united movement for a brighter future: “We are girls like never before, / Speaking out more and more, / Because when our quiet is broken, / The world must hear us roar.” Wise’s digital-collage illustrations burst with vibrant colors and diverse representations of girlhood that showcase a wide range of body types, abilities, and identities. In word and art, each page celebrates both the uniqueness and the unity of girlhood experiences across cultures, appearances, and personal journeys. An excellent read-aloud, this commanding offering speaks to a future marked by strength and endless possibilities. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
