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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January 1, 2019
Inspired by HeatherAsh Amara's adult self-help title Warrior Goddess Training, this book uses simple sentences to encourage readers, in particular girls, to be both "fierce" (e.g., "I train my body for battle") and "loving" ("I fill my heart with kindness"). While the youngest readers may miss the empowerment message, the friendly illustrations of a girl being kind to people, animals, and the earth should draw them in.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)