I HAVE THE HEART OF A WARRIOR

Lew offers a picture book of affirmations for children.

This book’s narration asserts that in order for one to have the heart of a warrior, one must first learn what such a warrior is: someone who faces their fears with a big heart, believes in themselves, feels happy, sad, excited, or scared, and knows that “Feeling these things makes them stronger.” Throughout, readers are encouraged to light the “tiny spark that makes them shine like a star” by saying the affirmations that appear in bold type on the following pages, such as “I stay true to myself,” “I rise when I fall,” and “I am a warrior, and I hold onto the love within me.” Arslan’s vivid watercolor-style illustrations are beautiful and lively, and they add greatly to the reading experience. There are no named characters, but one girl is highlighted; she experiences various emotions and is shown trying again after unsuccessfully approaching a task. (Other children are shown with various skin tones and body types with some using mobility aids.) The declarations are impressively encouraging, empowering, and heartening, and they effectively connect to a foreword for adults, in which Lew expresses a hope: “may the affirmations on each page serve as the words you needed to hear as a child growing up.”

An uplifting and affecting work for readers of any age.