I Am a Warrior Goddess

December 15, 2017
A girl recites ambiguous but positive affirmations as she goes through her daily routine.A white girl wearing black capris and a layered top stands on a rock surrounded by sunflowers. Hands on hips in a confidence-boosting Wonder Woman pose, she breaks the fourth wall and smiles at readers, proclaiming (over four consecutive double-page spreads), "I am a warrior goddess. / Each day I greet the sun / and the earth / and the wind." In the following spreads, readers see her flying a kite, planting a tree, and raising her arms to the sun before leading classmates in the rescue of a stranded cat or the gift of flowers to a friend. Not all of the metaphor carries--it's unclear, for example, when she hangs from a tree branch and notes, "I train my body for battle" before moving to the school library, where she "train[s her] mind for battle, too," what the "battle" actually is--but those looking to make meaning from the text will find it. Lemniscates' mixed-media collage, too, does little to clarify Adams' use of "warrior" within the somewhat diverse rural setting. However, the use of highly saturated, calming colors and firm horizon lines fosters a serenity befitting the reassuring (if vague) text.Unextraordinary. (Picture book. 4-8)

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