Amoya Blackwood Is Brave

When a girl’s confidence is shaken and she begins to shrink, her grandmother is there to remind her of who she is in this empowering picture book about self-esteem.

Amoya Blackwood is loud, bold and carefree. She always has the answer in class. And she knows just what to say to make her friends laugh.

Amoya Blackwood shows up with a smile on her face. She enters a room and takes up space.

But one day Amoya Blackwood starts noticing that the adults around her want to be less loud, less bold, less carefree. They want her to take up less space, and so she does. She gets smaller and smaller and smaller.

She gets so small she hardly recognizes herself.

But then, a conversation with her Gran reminds Amoya of who she is. And a surprising thing happens . . .

CHANTAIE ALLICK is a writer, freelance journalist, strategist and consultant. She’s a storyteller and communicator at her core. She helps business owners and creators share their unique stories with the world. Chantaie is based in Toronto.

AARON MARIN is an American illustrator and artist living in Upstate New York. He has worked with The Atlantic, the New York Times, Wired and Time.