You Will Do Great Things

by Amerie, Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)

Overview

A perfect gift for every milestone and big moment—from graduation to new beginnings—You Will Do Great Things is a lyrical, magical picture book about the great possibilities that lie ahead for our little ones.

A young boy's imagination takes off as he gazes at family photos, whisking him off on a fantastical journey. Along the way, the boy tries exciting and bold new things, ventures into unexplored worlds, and forms deep connections with his multicultural heritage and the ancestors who imbue him with the strength and courage to make a difference.

Amerie has written a moving, sweeping, and deeply loving story that is inspired by her own family. It is a celebration of everything our little ones have yet to do: the great, the amazing, the strange, and the new. It's also a lasting reminder that the loved ones in our lives will always be right there beside us—and in our hearts—cheering us on. An absolutely perfect gift for special moments from baby showers and new baby celebrations, to graduations, and everything in between.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250897923
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	03/28/2023
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	105 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Amerie is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and writer. The daughter of a Korean artist and an African-American military officer, Amerie was born in Massachusetts, raised all over the world, and graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s in English. She is the editor of New York Times bestseller Because You Love to Hate Me (a Junior Library Guild Selection), and recently founded Amerie’s Book Club, a book club that highlights diverse and unique perspectives and voices. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.

Raissa Figueroa is a children's book illustrator and overall art lover based out of San Diego, California. She loves taking in the early morning light while out on walks with her dog, Ghost, and letting her mind meander off to fantastical new places. Her other titles include Sophie and the Little Star, We Wait for the Sun, Oona and The More the Merrier.

Raissa Figueroa is a children's book illustrator and overall art lover based out of San Diego, California. She loves taking in the early morning light while out on walks with her dog, Ghost, and letting her mind meander off to fantastical new places. Raissa is the illustrator of We Wait for the Sun, written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree and Katie McCabe—which earned her a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor—as well as You Will Do Great Things written by Amerie, Oona written by Kelly DiPucchio, and The More the Merrier written by David Martin.

Editorial Reviews

04/24/2023

When a magically sparkling photo of a relative catches the eye of a young child portrayed with brown skin, they are swept into a dreamy fantasy world of imagined adventures. As the dauntless child dances, climbs among trees with gauzy leaved branches, rides a brilliantly plumed phoenix-like bird, and collects a rainbow of glowing orbs, they meet and are spurred on by figures who seem to be ancestors, cued as Black and of East Asian heritage. Figueroa blends elements of reality and reverie in fancifully hued digital landscapes. Songwriter Amerie’s rhyming verse encourages self-discovery (“Listen for that teeny voice// That’s always been inside.// It will help you find your way.// Trust it to be your guide”) and reminds readers that the support and love of family—even those who came before—surrounds them always. “You will be the things/ Those before us couldn’t be.// And you will carry in your heart// The power of their dreams.” Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Songwriter Amerie’s rhyming verse encourages self-discovery." —Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher

2023-01-12
In singer Amerie’s picture-book debut, a biracial child goes on a magical adventure, with ancestors rooting them on.

Full-bleed spreads depict a dark-skinned infant being nurtured by a Black- and Korean-coded family and growing into an energetic youngster with light brown locs and a high fade. As the family sits down to a meal, the protagonist wanders off, their eye caught by an old photograph of a smiling, Black ancestor in overalls. When the child reaches out toward the picture, they fly through the frame and emerge in a jewel-toned forest. The woods are full of glowing, dancing Black and Asian ancestors. Accompanied by rhyming, inspirational text, the narrative winds along with the jubilant kid as they dance through the trees, chase an otherworldly white creature, ride a fiery bird (perhaps inspired by the Samjok-o from Korean mythology), and meet a person in a Korean hanbok before returning home. Younger readers may enjoy the singsong words alongside illustrator Figueroa’s colorful, dreamlike art, but overall, the narrative feels somewhat unstructured and unsatisfying. Platitudes like “You will do big things / That just might change the world. // And you will do small things / That may help one boy or girl” are too timeworn to stand out, and the youngster’s hop from one supernatural montage to the next is more dizzying than enchanting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Despite the glittering images, this story is a bit lackluster. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews