Kerascoët - Only Picture Books

Girls on the Rise
Author: Amanda Gorman
Illustrator: Loveis Wise
7 January 2025
Viking Books for Young Readers
32 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “Who are we? We are a billion voices, bright and brave; we are light, standing together in the fight.

Girls are strong and powerful alone, but even stronger when they work to uplift one another. In this galvanizing original poem by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, girls and girlhood are celebrated in their many forms, all beautiful, not for how they look but for how they look into the face of fear. Creating a rousing rallying cry with vivid illustrations by Loveis Wise, Gorman reminds us how girls have shaped our history while marching boldly into the future.”

Need some reviews of Girls on the Rise?

Here’s an NPR interview with Gorman about this title.

Reading Activities inspired by Girls on the Rise:

Before Reading–From looking at the front cover:
- What do you notice about the art, colors, faces, clothing, background details?
- What does the word “rise” make you picture, movement, emotion, or both?
- Who do you think this book is speaking to, one person, or a whole group?
- What questions would you like to ask the author or illustrator before reading the book?
After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story:
- What does “being brave” mean in this book, and what does it look like?
- Where do you see teamwork or community in the words and pictures?
- How do the illustrations add to the meaning of the poem?
- What lines felt like a chant or a cheer you could say out loud?
- What does the book suggest about fear, and what helps girls move through it?
- Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
Rise Chant Remix: Write three new lines that match the book’s voice. Start each with one of these stems.
We are…
We can…
We will…
Read your lines out loud like a chant. Try it whisper-quiet, then proud-and-strong. Which version fits your message best?
Courage Map: Draw a simple path across a page. Label the start Fear and the finish Rise. Along the path, add 5 stepping-stones a girl might use to move forward, such as a friend, practice, asking for help, deep breath, telling the truth. Consider illustrating each stepping-stone with a small symbol.
Bravery Portrait Gallery: Create a portrait of a girl who is being brave in an everyday way, raising her hand, joining a game, learning something hard, standing up for someone. Add three labels around the portrait.
Her strength
Her voice
Her support
Make a Community “We” Mural: On one big sheet (or taped pages), draw a crowd of many different kids standing together. Each person gets one speech bubble with a short line, such as “I help,” “I try again,” “I tell the truth,” “I listen.” This turns the poem into a classroom or family chorus.
History Ripple Cards: The book nods toward how girls shape the future. Make three cards.
Card 1: A girl who changed something in your family or community
Card 2: A girl who changed something in history
Card 3: A girl who will change something tomorrow (imagined)
On the back of each card, write one sentence about the change and one sentence about the courage it took.
Books, Books, and More Books! Check out these picture books about confidence, courage, and girls using their voices:

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The impressive true story of Clara Lemlich, a young immigrant who stood up, spoke out, and helped spark a massive labor movement when the stakes were high and the risks were real.

I Am Enough by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
An affirming poem that centers self-worth, kindness, and belonging, inviting readers to slow down and see themselves as whole and valuable just as they are.

Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai, illustrated by Kerascoët
Malala reflects on her childhood wish for a magic pencil and how that wish grew into the courage to speak up for education and change, even when it was dangerous to do so.

She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger
Short portraits of women who faced obstacles, refused to quit, and reshaped history by continuing to push forward when others told them to stop.

Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
A tender rich story about a girl learning to see her own beauty, exploring colorism, self-acceptance, and the quiet power of self-love.

What better way to close out 2018 than with a list of OPB’s 18 favorites from this past year?

Some of these titles appeared in the (digital) pages of OPB.

Some didn’t. (Alas, this isn’t a comprehensive PB review site like PW, Kirkus, or others.)

But make no mistake–I’m a fan of these 18 titles. I’ll even offer up a sentence or three for each to give a sense about why I liked them.

Note #1: Every book listed below is a total winner via my super-subjective estimation. By that, I mean:

I own a copy. (Yep. Not just the freebie ARCs/galleys here!)
I’d be happy to read any of these with a child.
I’d be happy to re-read any of these, even without a child handy.
I’d be happy to have written, illustrated, and/or edited ANY of these.
I’d be pleased as Hawaiian punch for any of the involved authors, illustrators, and editors to hit up OPB for an interview. HINT HINT HINT!

Note #2: They aren’t ranked in any particular way, save alphabetically by title. Want to know the #1 picture book of 2018? Read them yourself and make your own choice. Post your choice as a comment here. Or offer it up on your social media. Or add your glowing recommendation on an Amazon or Goodreads page.

Note #3: I like notes.

Note #4: There should be more picture books about sloths. (Please refer to question #1 of the Speed Round of editor Kait Feldmann’s OPB interview for proof of this profound sloth lack!)

Note #5: Refer to notes 1–4, as needed.

Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex (3 July 2018)

I often bring a picture book to share at my SCBWI PALs meetings, and this one brought the house down. It’s loads of fun, but it’s far more than just a Star Wars nostalgia riff. Well done, Mr. Rex!

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson (9 October 2018)

If you liked Last Stop on Market Street, you’ll love de la Peña’s new book that powerfully spotlights children who are worthy of our attention. Plus Robinson’s acrylic paintings are rich and captivating. Simply terrific.

Enjoy an Oct 2018 interview about Carmela Full of Wishes with Matt and Christian at PW.

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Marlon Bundo and Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller

To everyone’s surprise, political satire and picture books can go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Plus Jim Parsons really rocks it on the audio version.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López (28 August 2018)

It’s a memorable, inclusive story with lyrical writing and dreamy art. This is a book for every child who feels alone (which is to say “everybody” at one time or another).

Here’s The New York Times article on two of Woodson’s books (including this one).

Drawn Together by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat (5 June 2018)

This gorgeous book shows the power of art–and the creative process–in action. It’s a visual WOW.

Here’s a June 2018 NPR interview with Minh Lê about Drawn Together.

Giraffe Problems by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith (25 September 2018)

About twice a month, I go to my local library and grab two huge bags of whatever picture books catch my eye. Then I read them all at home. That’s the story of how I got introduced to this book, and it was the star of the whole batch by far. Clever. And full of positive messages too.

Here’s a Dec 2018 “speed interview” with Jory John on this cool book.

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang (15 May 2018)

The simplistic yet powerfully expressive illustrations are first-rate. Plus there’s something wonderful about a grumpy monkey screaming “I’m not grumpy!” This is great for a kindergarten reading session. They’ll all make the faces along with the characters for sure.

How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk, illustrated by Sara Palacios (15 Mary 2018)

No rhymes or delicious puns here, but instead you have a kid-friendly book that shows how to break down a seemingly big problem into small, manageable steps. It’s smart, useful, and just silly enough to keep all the learning fun.

Here’s a “Simply 7” interview (by Jena Benton) with the always-interesting Josh Funk.

I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (2 October 2018)

I’ve been paying attention to this picture book team since I Am Yoga and they continue to deliver. This book is a fine celebration of the beautiful imperfectness of humanity. It’s a book that says it’s okay to make mistakes, and that’s a fine lesson for young readers that counteracts the over-tested, over-scheduled, must-have-GPAs-higher-than‑4.0 world in which we live.

I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët (24 April 2018)

I’ve been a fan of this husband-wife team since their graphic novel Beautiful Darkness. This picture book shows just how magical a wordless story can be.

Here’s a fine review of I Walk with Vanessa at Unleashing Readers.

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (23 April 2018)

This is a book that could’ve gone wrong in a host of ways … but doesn’t. It’s beautiful and empowering without being preachy.

Here’s a May 2018 interview with Jessica about this book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung (3 July 2018)

This celebratory book feels more relevant by the day. I’m also a fan of the graphic, eye-catching style.

Read the full review of Mixed at OPB!

Night Job by Karen Hesse, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (11 September 2018)

This gentle story has a great big heart and Karas’ mixed media illustrations are spot-on in every way.

Here’s the starred review of Night Job at Kirkus.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders, illustrated by Steven Salerno (10 April 2018)

I know Rob pretty well and despite that (just kidding, Rob!), I think this book is tremendously good and tremendously important. When Rob visited my Writing Picture Books class at Ringling College in spring 2018, he shared this book with them–it became the #1 most talked-about book of the entire semester for the students, and for that reason alone, it’s got to be on this list. I also really dig the back matter timelines.