What a book to educate young children about the world of activism! This moving story is about the 2017 Women's March, from a perspective of a young girl. The beautiful illustrations raised many questions by my grade 2 students. They were curious about what the people were trying to protest. I had to read the back-cover to my class which clearly explains the reasons behind the protest. I love it when books like ‘Julian Is A Mermaid’ by Jessica Love, ‘Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909’ by Michelle Markel, and ‘I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark’ by Debbie Levy can be universally read to and appreciated for the young.
Reading this book to my class brought up meaningful discussion about hope and acceptance. We talked greatly about the importance of standing up for human rights for people around the world. I love the message portrayed in this book – love and positivity can go a long way and it’s never too late to inspire the young to speak up the truth. Studying the illustration of the diverse characters marching, displaying beautiful positive affirmations inspired my class kids to make mini posters of their own.
The character, Mari wanted people to know her message “love is powerful” but she was afraid that her message would not be heard by anyone. Mari shouted her words out loud, and the rest shouted back. She was overjoyed to hear her message “Love is powerful” reverberating among the crowd. My class learned from the story that we can make a difference when we raise our voices together.
LeUyen Pham’s illustrations of the city filled with excited people encouraged my class kids to do similar artwork during their free time. They added mini posters adorned with beautiful affirmations. They were captivated by the note from Heather Dean Brewer and a picture of the real Mari on her mother's shoulders at the parade. A compelling picture book that emphasises the power of voices working together to celebrate diversity and love for one another.