Kirkus
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Verse on everyday topics. Featuring work by long-celebrated poets and new voices, this collection begins with an introduction in which Risbridger discusses the inequities that women and those outside the gender binary have long faced. “This book,” she writes, “is my best shot at making sure that whenever someone picks up a poetry book, they’ll find plenty of poems by girls.” The volume covers sometimes overlapping topics such as family, daily rituals, nature, animals, identity, activism, and poetry itself. Risbridger’s careful editorial arrangement is complemented by Shepeta’s dynamic illustrations, each page building to an immersive experience. As a whole, the book is an inspired celebration of life and meaning, with vivid imagery, complex themes, distilled life lessons, and bold windows into a rich array of experiences, from Janet S. Wong’s ode to her grandmother to Jan Dean’s tribute to Rosa Parks. Shepeta’s bright tones and rich, full-page illustrations convey whimsy while retaining a realism that effectively grounds each poem. This accessible work will appeal to reluctant readers, those seeking read-alouds, and aspiring writers keen to play with words. The compilation reflects diversity throughout in authorship, content, and art, and the finely crafted whole conveys the value of poetry both as a vehicle of expression and as a tool for reflection and meaning-making. Mindful poems and art worth pausing for. (afterword, indexes by poem, poets, and first lines) (Poetry. 8-12) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.