In Hoffman’s illustrated children’s book, a young girl struggles to convey stories on paper.

Jasmine is an elementary schooler with a passion for storytelling. She loves art and hearing her teacher read aloud, but has difficulty reading and writing herself. Her letters on the page are shaky, barely legible, and confusing to others because she mixes up cases and misspells words. She also has a hard time copying sentences from the chalkboard. Her hardest moments in class are when her teacher, Ms. Anderson, asks pupils to read their own writing aloud, or when she must work with others in a group. One day, Ms. Anderson gives her an assignment that makes her confidence plummet: She must tell a creative story on paper. The youngster has no idea if she can create a tale that other people will find comprehensible. Soon, though, she decides to convey a narrative through illustration instead of text: “The pictures came to life on the page as she presented her tale. Jasmine’s story sparkled.” Thus, in Hoffman’s most recent picture book since Big Dreams (2024), a young girl learns to embrace her talents. Although the main character’s learning difference isn’t explicitly identified, this story may inspire readers who experience issues such as dyslexia or dysgraphia, the latter of which seems underrepresented in children’s literature. The narrative might have benefited from the inclusion of an extra moment of conflict, as Jasmine finds her way to visual storytelling a little too quickly; however, this does not take away from the book’s overall quality. Mello’s illustrations feel larger than life and full of motion, whether they offer imaginative visions of Jasmine fearfully stumbling across huge books or being swept away by anxiety or joy. Jasmine is depicted with brown skin; other students are shown with a range of skin tones.

An often-engaging book that effectively acknowledges and celebrates different ways of learning.

A girl bucks tradition to play her favorite sport in Hoffman’s picture book.

Red-haired, pale-skinned elementary schooler Gabby loves American football. She wants to play on her own local team, but she can only watch from afar while others participate. Her brother tells her that only boys can play the sport, and her mom worries that she’ll get hurt. However, her dad encourages her to sign up for the local boys’ team: “You have big dreams,” he says. “You aren’t meant to sit on the sidelines. You were born to shine!” At Gabby’s first game, she’s the only girl on the team. This makes her nervous, but she does her best to overcome her anxiety by remembering her dad’s encouraging words. During the big game, she gets a chance to make a pivotal contribution to her team. This inspiring story for young feminists is Hoffman’s latest work after the second edition of The Self-Love Book (2023). Mello’s illustrations will sweep readers away as they break format conventions and splash across the page, and Hoffman’s writing matches their enthusiasm. However, the book could have included more of Gabby’s teammates’ reactions to her presence. Also, the big game seems to happen immediately without any practices first, which makes the timeline somewhat confusing.

An imperfect but valuable addition to sports-fiction collections for young readers.

Hoffman’s picture book features a young boy on the autism spectrum.

Samuel is a school-age boy with fair skin, light brown hair, and blue eyes who loves the color blue. When his teacher, Ms. Anderson, asks the class to draw pictures of their families, Samuel puts on his headphones and doesn’t hesitate to use his favorite color. While his classmates present pictures employing a veritable rainbow of hues, Samuel creates his own masterpiece exclusively in shades of blue. This prompts the wise teacher to explain, “Some of us use all the colours, and some of us use shades of only one. Even though our art may be different, each is just as special.” Samuel’s use of headphones in the classroom as well as nonverbal cues (like flapping his arms to indicate he’s ready to present his picture) allude to Samuel’s being on the autism spectrum—which elevates a great children’s book to the level of a culturally significant one. Mello’s illustrations splash across the pages with bright, bold colors and lines that draw the eye, perfectly complementing the text. The result is a touching story that all readers can enjoy. Those on the autism spectrum and their loved ones will find much-needed representation in this whimsical story that quietly speaks volumes.

Samuel’s story comes to life through compassionately drawn characters, warm dialogue, and joyful illustrations.