I Believe I Can

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I Believe I Can Book Cover

I Believe I Can is a picture book written by Grace Byers and illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo. It is also a follow-up to their previous bestseller book I am Enough. It features boys and girls of many races, ethnicities, and sizes enjoying activities by themselves and interacting harmoniously with other children. The children participate in a wide range of activities, including those that run counter to gender stereotypes: A boy takes pleasure from cooking by himself. A girl is shown as the star athlete while playing soccer with two boys. Words about setbacks are accompanied by uplifting images. Words about mistakes are accompanied by images of children trying to do better or amend bad behavior. This book can help children learn language arts, including rhyme, rhythm, and poetry.[1]

Plot

I Believe I Can is a rhyming poem rather than a story. It begins with a series of positive, affirmative "I can... " statements and similes, such as "I can stretch, just like the Alps." About midway, it reminds readers to remember, "I am brave," then shifts to some negatives: "setbacks," "mistakes," and "defeat" a child might experience, followed by encouragement to get up, dust off, and try to make things better. The ultimate message is that each of us has light and power within.[2] The book shows a line of children practices ballet at the barre; refreshingly, two of the four are visibly (and adorably) pudgy. Another group tends a couple of raised beds; one of them wears hijab. Two more children coax a nervous friend down a steep slide. There is also images of children pretending to be pirates, dragons, mimes, playing superhero and soccer, and cooking.

References

  1. Saunders, Barbara. I Believe I Can. Retrieved on December 20, 2020.
  2. Saunders, Barbara. I Believe I Can. Retrieved on December 20, 2020.