I CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING

A determined tot is ready for change.

This youngster, with a shock of brown hair, pink skin, and big, bold eyes, can change (almost) anything. Strong first-person narration radiates purposeful strength. Basic, everyday tasks such as getting dressed (“I can change the clothes I wear. / I can change my socks and shoes”) lead to small victories: “I can change a seed into a tree” (with the help of a watering can). Larger circumstances beyond a small child’s control require a bit more imagination: “I can change a rainy day into a day at sea.” (A cardboard boat sails through a puddle.) Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, knows about big ideas. Alas, too many ideas are strung together in this package, which muddles the intended empowerment message. The narration attempts to flow from concrete changes to more abstract ones: “I can change my feelings into words. / I can change ideas into things.” However, the platitudinous ending —“But I can change the world!”—falls flat. Occasional rhyme (“I can change myself from being shy. / I can make myself say hi”) results in choppy scansion. Brenlla’s retro art helps to enliven this list of buoyant encouragements.

Positive—but not quite powerful.