Review Detail

A Girl Can Build Anything

Kids Fiction 440

Building Dreams with Plywood and Possibilities

October 08, 2023

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

In this pciture book written in blank verse, we see young girls being encouraged to build all manner of things. From wood and plastic to sheetrock and shutters, girls are encouraged to gather materials, make plans, and build anything. There might be set backs, but they are opportunities for learning that will propel them forward to even bigger and better things. The little girls in the picture constructing birdhouses and trellises give way to adult women planning buildings and cities. Throughout the book, there are themes of resilience and perseverance.

Good Points

Morris' artwork is reminiscent of Eric Carle's tissue paper collage style, but has a lot more color in the background. The girls shown are diverse, and I love the scenes where the characters are moving building supplies on a background of graph paper. This is definitely a great example of "if you can see it, you can be it", and I love the pages with the adult women deep in urban planning.

While there are some good begining reader books about girls who build things, I haven't seen anything in picture book format about girls building things. Since I work more in fiber arts (which are less apt to injure people when the projects go wrong!), I haven't really looked, although my daughters did have a play workbench growing up, right along with their play kitchen. If you want to introduce young readers to Derting's Libby Loves Science, Pearce's Ellie Engineer, and Beaty's Rosie Revere, Engineer, as well as Respicio's The House That Lou Built, A Girl Can Build Anything is a good start.

It's hard for me to believe that it's 2023 and we still don't have more women in construction or STEM careers. Let's hope that picture books like Rachel Ignotofsky's Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, Partridge's Parks for the People, Jacob's The Mellons Build a House, and Theule's Fascinating Concrete: From the Ground Up will serve as inspiration for a new generation of girls to look into science and construction careers!