Maggie Hutchings (text), Hayley Wells (illustration), Be True to You!, Affirm Press, May 2024, 24 pp., $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922 863898
What if each day you could be exactly who you were meant to be?
Exploring themes such as identity, gender, acceptance and belonging, Be true to you! is an inclusive picture book for readers from preschool age upwards.
Counsellor and author Maggie Hutchings thoughtfully shows how being free to be oneself is a celebration of our uniqueness and individuality. The easy to read, rhyming story hosts a colourful array of characters that proudly and bravely shine as they embrace their identity in their communities. The use of bold text drives home key phrases that convey courage and acceptance, while Hayley Wells brings a burst of colour signifying the joy and rapture to be found in truly being yourself and how infectious it can be to own and affirm your identity.
A heartfelt and brilliant introduction for young children about diversity and embracing all the amazing things that makes each of us special.
For each of us is different and so is every song.
Just know that when your true self shows, it is never wrong!
Reviewed by Shelley Stephens
