Stay Angry, Little Girl

June 15, 2024
Girls harness their anger to make positive change. Midway through the 1962 classic A Wrinkle in Time, the late L'Engle writes: "'Stay angry, little Meg, ' Mrs Whatsit whispered. 'You will need all your anger now.'" Chan uses this quote as a rallying cry to inspire readers, dedicating this book "to all the Meg Murrys." The opening spread features a group of girls diverse in terms of race and ability listening to a librarian read from L'Engle's novel while a sign propped up on a nearby bookshelf states, "Books unite us, censorship divides us." While the text is more exhortation than narrative, the digital illustrations suggest a wordless story that begins with two girls looking askance at a field filled with tree stumps enclosed by a fence bearing a sign that reads, "Park closed, mall coming soon!" and ends with an image of a newly created park and an inclusive community garden, a result of the girls using their anger for good. Along the way, the bold, cheerful illustrations depict girls researching deforestation at the library, marching in support of LGBTQ+ rights, staying curious (a girl using a wheelchair studies renewable energy), welcoming others (a girl in a hijab eating alone is invited to join other girls at lunch), singing, and playing. Chan reclaims the famous L'Engle quote--which was excised from the movie adaptation--and gives girls a full-throated endorsement to be true to themselves. Empowering. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 8, 2024
Personal characteristics that are sometimes seen as vulnerabilities prove valuable in moments of adversity, hints this work inspired by a memorable line from Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time: “ ‘Stay angry, little Meg,’ Mrs. Whatsit whispered. ‘You will need all your anger now.’ ” In straightforward digital spreads by Chan (Mamie Tape Fights to Go to School), a group of pupils portrayed with various abilities and skin tones listens to their teacher read from L’Engle’s book. Next, the children encounter events that require their resistance. In the first, two students discover a chain-link fence around a park, with a sign that reads “Mall coming soon.” The next spread shows the duo in the library doing research about community gardens and fighting deforestation (“Anger helps you know what needs to change,” an attendant line reads). On another spread, a television newscast reads “Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills,” viewed by a family whose child is shown the following day heading a march with classmates (“Stay stubborn, little girl”). Sensitivity, curiosity, loudness, kindness, and playfulness are also embraced in this leanly hortatory accounting of values. Ages 3–5. Illustrator’s agent: Jemiscoe Chambers-Black, Andrea Brown Literary.

August 9, 2024

PreS-Gr 3-"Inspired by the words of Madeleine L'Engle" in her book, A Wrinkle in Time, in which the main character is advised to "stay angry," this is an exhilarating ode to the power of emotion. The concept is simple and effective: first readers see someone living out a difficult moment, then the way that "staying angry"-and stubborn, and curious, and loud-improves their circumstances. The text is appropriately spare, in sentences that are little more than a variation on the title; no author is credited. The illustrations do much of the work. A young girl and her mothers regard a TV with sadness as it flashes news of anti-LGBTQIA+ bills being proposed, and on the next page, readers see the family marching in the streets, proudly hoisting "Say Gay" and "Protect Trans Kids" signs. In another spread, friends notice a young girl in a hijab sitting alone at lunch and invite her to join them, in turn granting her the confidence to explore her playful side. Characters recur in a way that highlights their interconnectedness: the eager inventor who creates wind turbines from paper cups is the same one riding her wheelchair alongside other allies during the march for gay rights. In a bold cartoon style, Chan's illustrations are bursting with color and life, and she features a glorious array of skin tones, physical abilities, and ages. VERDICT This unique book that embraces sensitivity and encourages action is highly recommended for school and public libraries.-Kate Newcombe

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.