Be Strong

by Pat Zietlow Miller, Jen Hill (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

From the bestselling duo behind Be Kind, Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill's follow-up, Be Strong, carries an accessibly powerful message of "show up, speak up, and never ever give up." Tanisha shows the reader or listener that lessons learned in school are applicable in the outside world and vice versa. A pairing of Be Strong and Be Kind fit naturally on any child’s bookshelf and also makes a great gift for anyone in need of encouragement.

A picture book about finding strength in unlikely places from the team behind the hugely popular New York Times bestseller Be Kind.

When her gym class must face the school rock-climbing wall, Tanisha is discouraged. Her muscles are weak, and she knows she'll never reach the top like Cayla.

But maybe strength is about more than just muscles.

With help from her family, Tanisha learns that by showing up, speaking up, and not giving up, she can be strong, too. And that people are the strongest when they work together and trust each other.

Award-winning author Pat Zietlow Miller has reunited with illustrator Jen Hill for Be Strong, another unforgettable story sure to inspire kids and adults alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250221117
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	08/10/2021
Series:	Be Kind , #2
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	92,530
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Pat Zietlow Miller is a children's book lover and one of the creative forces behind the blog Picture Book Builders where she reviews books for young readers. Her picture books include the New York Times bestseller Be Kind, Sophie's Squash, Wherever You Go, The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, and Remarkably You, among many others. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Jen Hill is the illustrator of several picture books, including Diana's White House Garden by Elisa Carbone, Spring for Sophie by Yael Werber, and Doing Her Bit by Erin Hagar; and is also the author and illustrator of Percy and Tumtum: A Tale of Two Dogs. She is a graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"This exploration of the true meaning of being strong is layered and lovely, provoking deep thought, feeling, and conversation about this important virtue and its corollaries—perseverance, leadership, and caring." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A timely message for audiences of all ages, and a strong purchase for all libraries." —School Library Journal

Praise for Be Kind:

“These days, it seems more important than ever for books to show young people how to act with thoughtfulness, civility, and kindness.” —The New York Times Book Review

“[A] lovely exploration of empathy and thoughtfulness.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A thoughtful picture book.” —Booklist

“This picture book champions interpersonal kindness both globally and in a young child's town . . . The story gives children many concrete ideas of actionable kind deeds.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The book presents the powerful message that small acts of kindness matter, and that they can build with other acts of kindness to make a difference . . . A valuable addition on this topic [that] will promote conversation about what it means to be kind.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/02/2021

K-Gr 4—Soft watercolor pastel illustrations feature a young Black girl in a culturally diverse neighborhood, who feels she is simply not strong. She can't even scale the climbing wall in gym class, much less carry her overflowing backpack some days. She enlists advice from her family members on how to be strong. Her very wise parents and grandmother give her excellent advice. "Dad says being strong means showing up. Like when our neighborhood wakes up early to help people who have lost their homes." Little by little, the young girl puts one foot in front of the other and takes their advice. "Mama says…being strong means moving forward. 'Tiny steps are fine,' she says, 'As long as they take you in the right direction.'" Going forward, the little girl turns her weaknesses into strengths, like helping friends with a math packet, making a special table at lunch so no one eats alone, or writing a hundred thank-you notes. "Strong people care. And sometimes cry. They help people, and let other people help them." VERDICT A timely message for audiences of all ages, and a strong purchase for all libraries.—Tracy Cronce, Stevens Point PSD, WI

School Library Journal

★ 2021-06-16
A child faced with a challenge learns about and practices being strong.

When this young narrator has to climb the wall in the school gymnasium, they don’t reach the top the way classmate Cayla can. The kid feels the opposite of strong. Family members tell the protagonist that being strong gets you through life, so the kid asks, “How can I be strong?” Each family member has advice. Being strong can look like “showing up,” “speaking up,” and “not giving up.” Each family member also lives an example of their words. The narrator, a small Black child with large, puffy hair, takes the advice of parents and grandmother. The kid practices being strong by showing up for friends, speaking out for peers, and not giving up when learning new things. The text is straightforward and immersive, with braided threads that are easy and delightful to follow. The illustrations are made up of busy spreads of neighborhood scenes and sparse scenes of individual and small group actions, making for a well-paced journey through the child’s experiences with family and community. This exploration of the true meaning of being strong is layered and lovely, provoking deep thought, feeling, and conversation about this important virtue and its corollaries—perseverance, leadership, and caring. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Smart and warm. (Picture book. 3-9)

Kirkus Reviews