I'm Growing Great

by Mechal Renee Roe

This great gift book is full of Mechal Renee Roe's signature enchanting illustrations and positive messages. The simple, inspirational text is paired with charming and uplifiting illustrations of girls just like the reader. It's the ideal purchase for young readers, or just the young at heart.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Self Esteem, Storytime, Fiction, Poetry, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 18, 2022

Reviews

[DeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natural hair love 2.0 in a children's picture book!!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Kellee Moye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations 5 stars!
The text was so positive though it just didn’t flow as well as I’d like, and I was annoyed by the lower case “i” throughout.
Definitely will be as popular as Happy Hair and Cool Cuts.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poetic flow is a little off for a read aloud, but I'll definitely purchase for my elementary library as the representation is fantastic & my students love Happy Hair.

[Charelle Shipman-Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures and words!!! My class loved it.... especially all the beautiful "hair" illustrations!!! Nice feel good self confidence book for children!

[andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of universal positive affirmations, beautiful and poetic, with a repeated phrase- I am growing each day! The book features illustrations of Black girls with many different skin tones surrounded by things that grow- flowers, plants and animals.

[Novita · Rating 4 out of 5]

sekali duduk banget
Bukunya lebih ke motivasi gitu sihhh trus ilustratornya pake etnis kulit hitam di semua buku ini. Mungkin untuk menambah motivasi buat mereka juga 🤔

[Isabel B Sanchez]

This book is about growth, self‐esteem, and natural hair for girls of color. Each page features a young girl of color in a garden or nature themed area showing off different hairstyle. I would show this book to the kids in my class to show that everyone is different in some way and having live for your own hair is a step to self apprecation.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written and illustrated by the same creator of Happy Hair and Cool Cuts, this simple picture book empowers girls to be their best in every way. The text consists of rhyming lines that affirm their growth while the images feature flowers and large frontal views of various girls on the double-page spreads who are smiling and thinking deep thoughts, based on their closed eyes and facial expressions. While I love, love, love this book's powerful message, I'm not sure that "tough as a rose" is an accurate description of that particular blossom since the roses I've seen are a bit fragile and not ready for much handling. Still, youngsters and their parents or caregivers will appreciate the positivity of this book. Even the endpapers are celebratory with the message that "I AM BORN TO BE GREAT!" How could anyone not feel excited about her future after reading this short picture book wit its attractive digital illustrations? This one would be a good choice for sharing even with little ones repeatedly. After all, the world often sends out negative messages to youngsters, especially girls. Why not counteract those with a book such as this one?

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m Growing Great is a lovely rhythmic picture book showcasing the beauty of diversity and the many ways in which young ladies are able to grow. The simple refrain “I am growing each day” is a gentle reminder (for everyone!!!) that we are all a work in progress. We are all growing. We are all special. And we are all born to be great!

I loved everything about this book…and so did my very lovely, very special three-year old! She especially liked seeing characters with beautiful curls similar to her own. Representation in children’s books is so exciting and makes one feel even more connected to the books they read!

[Cindy Dobrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one is a finished work, we are all "growing each day." This self-affirming refrain is accompanied on each spread by different plants, most flowering, and different black girls with varied skin colors and hairstyles. It's a book young girls will read again and again and absorb the positive message. Part of the Happy Hair series with Happy Hair and Cool Cuts.

[Octavia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting Diversity for girls of all ages!

Every page is filled with various pattern shaped coils of hair: kinky, coarse, wiry, curly,
springy, and all you can Imagine! I just Adored the way Mechal Renee Roe channels into the Purpose of encouraging and speaking Affirmations on each page to young girls. The lovely illustrations make it so very easy for young readers to also embrace their different skin tones as well.

This author has the cutest books ever!!

"Exploring My Feelings Bring Kind Healing." 🎀

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children’s Books through the Fall Day of Dialogue.
Love the encouraging message that starts at the bookplate. The illustrations and text work together to empower young girls to be and become who they are meant to be. A terrific family read to open dialogue about celebrating individual strengths and growth areas for each family member.

[Clementine · Rating 3 out of 5]

the illustrations are appealing and the intent is good - it might work for some readers who need a self-esteem boost and could use some help with affirmations - but the text is really weak here and the book suffers as a result. i would have loved to see some emotional depth to the content.

the images are really great, though - those will be a hit.

[lindsloveslit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 4

A lighthearted, rhythmic picture book that celebrates confident, empowered girls through vibrant, nature‑filled illustrations. This book is perfect for readers who love uplifting, affirmations that nurture self‑esteem and a love of growth. I would describe it as an affirmation book, not a story book.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the Random House Children’s Books for an advanced electronic copy of this lovely book. This book is full of self-affirmations and would be a great part of a social-emotional learning conversation with young readers.

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations, and I'm a fan of reminding kids of their greatness. Though, I think the examples are a bit obscure for kids to make connections to. For example, I'm not sure kids will see how "Plant the seeds, clear the weeds!" has to do with them.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each page is another affirmation with a repeating refrain "I'm growing great".

Would be a good read-aloud because the kids can repeat that phrase with you.

Could also adopt a particular affirmation for a day or week or month.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Roe's books celebrating Black culture (Happy Hair and cool Cuts), the author provides a positive series of affirmations about growing up. Easily accessible through the rhymed verse, this book might be a good read on a repeated basis to strengthen one's self esteem.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book full of positive messages about how various children are growing each day. The children illustrated are female appearing of many different backgrounds and hair textures. This would be a great classroom book to practice positive affirmations.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, varied illustrations. Can look at them a long time and enjoy the detail and differences. The positive affirmations were nice too - making this a book to own instead of just borrow from the library.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet illustrations showing girls and flowers, with positive affirmations. Not all of the text really makes sense, there are some pages where the metaphors are a bit of a stretch, but it is beautiful to look at and conveys a generally positive vibe.

[Hailey West · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about showcasing the beauty of diversity in many ways. The illustrations beautifully represent the positivity of being different. I would have this book in my classroom because because it teaches children to accept and love each other for who you are.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 sentences per page. One sentence is a group of rhyming phrases related to gardening and growth, and the second sentence is "I am growing each day!" The other page showcases a Black girl. Colorful and cute, big illustrations with less details.

[Bryan Loar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful, simple affirmations make Mechal Renee Roe's newest release a solid choice. I would love to see this as a board book. A digital advanced reader copy was reviewed.

[Readwritedesign · Rating 5 out of 5]

The different hairstyles were so cute and fun. My daughter and I really enjoyed it.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like the text leaves something to be desired, and some of the concepts may be a bit too abstract for the target audience. However, the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and will surely delight young readers.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

3= writing
4/5= illustrations

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations and message, but some of the rhymes feel a little forced and a couple pages didn't make much sense. But it's fine.

[Chantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations alone are worth the purchase price. Beautifully written picture book with diverse illustrations.

[Callie Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love diversity in picture books, but diversity doesn’t negate the need for good writing.