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by Carly Mottinger (Author), Sanoji Rathnasekara (Illustrator)
Everyone wants to encourage the kids in their life to be great ("You can be anything you want to be!" is the mantra adults love to spout), but few share the secret of what it really takes to be great: passion and lots of hard work! Which is why every kid needs the message of this book. Great is the story of a little girl who just knows she has a hidden talent inside her that is going to take her to the highest heights of fame and fortune, if only she could discover what that thing is. She casts her net far and wide, trying activities from beekeeping to pickleball to sculpting to trapeze.
But, to her dismay, she finds that she is not automatically good at any of these endeavors. In fact, she is quite dismal at many of them: "I put the bad in badminton, can't even knit mittens!" What a disappointment she is going to be with no unique skill to help her stand out from the crowd! But then, in a quiet moment, the little girl comes across an older chess champ, who gives her some surprising advice. Being great, says the woman, takes many years of dedication and practice. Chess champs aren't made overnight, and neither are musicians, acrobats, or professional cheese tasters! The old woman counsels the little girl to pick one thing she's passionate about and work at it: that's the true path to greatness. The girl chooses drums and, sure enough, many years of practice lead her to her dream of performing on stage, ready to inspire the next generation of hopeful little girls who long to be great at something.
Author Carly Mottinger tells the story in clever rhymes, which makes Great an engaging and entertaining read for all ages. The gorgeous watercolor illustrations follow the protagonist through her myriad attempts at greatness, perfectly capturing both aspiration and desperation along the way. The messages of the book are positive and uplifting (Feel free to try your hand at anything and everything! Dreams can come true!), but also tempered with realism (Sometimes elders know better! Making dreams come true is hard work!). It's perfect for every little kid with big plans, whether they are a budding ballerina, a master chef in the making, or a junior scientist with their eyes on a Nobel Prize. It's a good reminder that we all have to start at the beginning, and the road to success can be long and difficult. But it's always worth the wait... to be GREAT!
