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A review by meezcarrie
Everyone Belongs by Heather Avis
5.0
“Exactly who you are is exactly who we pick.”
Oh how I loved the message in this sweet picture book – from the endearing illustrations to the rhyming text that celebrates our differences, this is one I will proudly add to the shelves of children’s books I keep on hand for my nieces and nephew. And, if I may divulge a secret, I enjoy reading them too, even if no nieces or nephews are in sight.
Have I got a story to share with you,
one about sisters named Macy and Tru.
It’s a tale of two girls and one fabulous show,
and you are invited. So come on, let’s go!
Macy and Tru may be sisters but they are delightfully different and they decide to put on a show at the park so they both have a chance to shine. As they make preparations, other children stop by and wonder if they can be part of the show as well… or if their differences will prevent their involvement. A variety of abilities, limitations, backgrounds, and personalities grace these pages, and I love the line that repeats periodically in the text – “Exactly who you are is exactly who we pick.” This is a message my own parents spoke over my younger brother and myself as we were growing up, valuing exactly how God made us, so it made my heart happy to see it being spoken over other children as well.
Heather Avis has written a delightful book, and illustrator Sarah Mensinga perfectly complements the text with her colorful artwork. Macy and Tru are modeled after Avis’s beautifully unique daughters, and each of the other beautifully unique characters in Everyone Belongs are portrayed with value, dignity, and joy Every page made me smile, and children will love the bright colors and the way Mensinga brings the activity to life.
Bottom Line: Everyone Belongs combines Heather Avis’s winsome and embracing text with Sarah Mensinga’s vibrant and endearing illustrations. Through the eyes of Macy and Tru, differences and disabilities are acknowledged but seen as benefits, rather than limitations, and the intrinsic value of each person is praised. It models for children how to make room for and show love to everyone, especially the people who are routinely overlooked by others. “Exactly who you are is exactly who we pick.” And I pick this book to add to my collection!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
Oh how I loved the message in this sweet picture book – from the endearing illustrations to the rhyming text that celebrates our differences, this is one I will proudly add to the shelves of children’s books I keep on hand for my nieces and nephew. And, if I may divulge a secret, I enjoy reading them too, even if no nieces or nephews are in sight.
Have I got a story to share with you,
one about sisters named Macy and Tru.
It’s a tale of two girls and one fabulous show,
and you are invited. So come on, let’s go!
Macy and Tru may be sisters but they are delightfully different and they decide to put on a show at the park so they both have a chance to shine. As they make preparations, other children stop by and wonder if they can be part of the show as well… or if their differences will prevent their involvement. A variety of abilities, limitations, backgrounds, and personalities grace these pages, and I love the line that repeats periodically in the text – “Exactly who you are is exactly who we pick.” This is a message my own parents spoke over my younger brother and myself as we were growing up, valuing exactly how God made us, so it made my heart happy to see it being spoken over other children as well.
Heather Avis has written a delightful book, and illustrator Sarah Mensinga perfectly complements the text with her colorful artwork. Macy and Tru are modeled after Avis’s beautifully unique daughters, and each of the other beautifully unique characters in Everyone Belongs are portrayed with value, dignity, and joy Every page made me smile, and children will love the bright colors and the way Mensinga brings the activity to life.
Bottom Line: Everyone Belongs combines Heather Avis’s winsome and embracing text with Sarah Mensinga’s vibrant and endearing illustrations. Through the eyes of Macy and Tru, differences and disabilities are acknowledged but seen as benefits, rather than limitations, and the intrinsic value of each person is praised. It models for children how to make room for and show love to everyone, especially the people who are routinely overlooked by others. “Exactly who you are is exactly who we pick.” And I pick this book to add to my collection!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower