I Believe I Can

I Believe I Can by Grace Byers, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo
 
Every child deserves to know that their presence matters, their ideas have value and their possibilities are not limited by what others expect of them.
 
Grace Byers builds this affirmation through lyrical first-person statements and imaginative comparisons with the strength, movement and possibility found in the world around us. The book celebrates confidence without pretending that every attempt will succeed: mistakes and disappointment can happen, but they do not have to decide what a child believes they can become.
 
Keturah A. Bobo’s expressive illustrations bring together children with varied skin tones, cultures, body types and visible abilities. They play, create, imagine and take part in the world alongside one another, allowing many children to recognise something of themselves while also encountering lives beyond their own.
 
This is a book to read slowly, return to and talk about. Individual lines can become starting points for discussing personal strengths, future hopes, trying again and the quiet importance of believing that you belong.