G My Name Is Girl: A Song of Celebration from Argentina to Zambia

In an alliterative abecedarian, Masi takes readers on a global journey to meet girls and women from 26 countries who exhibit as many vaguely aspirational traits. Full-color spreads in muted hues accompany the litany, depicting subjects of various skin tones, hair textures, and abilities against a slice of each country’s landscape—in Argentina, two “adventurous” siblings jump rope against a mountainous backdrop, while New Zealander Nelly, who uses a wheelchair, proves “nurturing,” coddling a lamb in a grassy field. One scene seems to reduce a country to a single traumatic event (two “heroic” figures in Haiti are seen picking their way across a pile of rubble, animals on their backs), while others extol virtues that feel laudable chiefly from a Western perspective, but the friendly illustrations of an inclusive range of girls are notably lively. Includes a map of highlighted locations. Ages 3–7. [em](Feb.) [/em]