Seemi Aziz, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, and Deanna Day-Wiff, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA

This week Seemi and Deanna give their takes on “One Girl” by Andrea Beaty and Dow Phumiruk.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated story of girls and education. The world is opened by giving a girl a book. As she grows and learns she gets more confident in the world that surrounds her.

DEANNA: “One Girl. / One spark. / Faint and fading in the dark. / Flicker…, / Flicker…, / Flicker… / Glow,” begins this poetic picturebook that is easy to read aloud and enjoy. The illustrations show a book, in bright light, falling from the sky landing at the girl’s feet. The girl picks up the book and begins to read, causing flickers to grow. As she steps out of the darkness into daylight the embers burn, symbolizing growth and knowledge.

As a book nerd I love how books are in every tree and the buildings are even made of out of books. Plus, pencils are interspersed throughout the book as tree trunks, fences and bridge supports. The message of how books and education, can spark reading, writing and change is important for all children, not just girls. Eventually the girl goes to school and shares stories with her classmates. Her teacher encourages her to write her own stories, “One girl / …in the light. / One girl. Growing strong. / One girl glowing / Shares her song”. The girl shares her stories with the children in her class and the world, inspiring them to catch the spark of reading so that they may share their own lights.

Just like this “one girl” all children can light a tiny ember to begin a fire to change our world.

Dow Phumiruk’s cover image of One Girl, clutching a pencil and book, with a garden of promise growing out from it, is one of the most beautiful bookcovers I’ve ever seen, but the subsequent illustrations aren’t as appealing to me, perhaps because they are so busy and magical.

Andrea Beaty Reads Aloud One Girl.

SEEMI: I appreciated the simplicity of the written text. The words are very few and extremely expressive. But what caches the eye are the beautifully rendered illustrations. These illustrations speak where the written text leaves off.

Title: One Girl
Author: Andrea Beaty
Illustrator: Dow Phumiruk
ISBN: 9781419719059
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
PubDate: October 6, 2020

Throughout June 2021, Seemi Aziz and Deanna Day-Wiff discuss picturebooks that depict anxiety and stress in and around our world. Check back each Wednesday to follow the conversation!

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• Themes: Andrea Beaty, Deanna Day-Wiff, Dow Phumiruk, One Girl, Seemi Aziz
• Descriptors: Books & Resources, My Take/Your Take