Petit à petit

by Amanda Gorman, Nadeige T. dulot (translator), Christian Robinson (illustrator)

The stunning new picture book by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Christian Robinson.

You're told that
This won't work,
But how will you know
If you never try?

Presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope.

Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change.

With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Activism, Fiction, Environment, Inspirational

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

Amanda Gorman was the first Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. She is also an activist. Gorman's work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. In January 2021, she became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, reading her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Reviews

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. An interesting picture book with hopeful & inspirational words by the youngest poet laureate, Amanda Gorman. Perhaps it’s message will motivate and stick with some youngsters?🤷🏻‍♀️

[Shirley Kiddo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is mainly for children but it's perfect for adults who are still trying to find their way.

[BookishVegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This absolutely stunning.

For both adults and children. The message so clear

For the generations that haven’t learned/been told that you can’t do anything to change the way things are, that it’s hopeless and to us that continually need to unlearn that it’s always in our power to make a difference.

Amanda Gorman is such an inspiration and hero to me.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda has this simple way of pointing out things that are wrong while keeping a very positive energy conveying that things will get better. This book will inspire little children (everyone, really) on how they can make a difference with their small acts of community improvement (clean-up, planting flowers). And once the dominoes start falling in the improvement-direction, then we are all on the right track!

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dealing with environmental issues can seem overwhelming, but making small strides in your community can have big impacts. That is the lesson in Gorman's picture book. It's all about bringing people together with a common goal. A positive message for kids and adults alike.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure! Inspiring hope-filled poetic text, accompanied by imaginative, gorgeous illustrations. Loved it!

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful book. I thought it was going to be in a rhyming poem style, and was surprised but really enjoyed the simple sentences. The prose was lovely, but the art has my heart. I adore the textile element of it, the mix of child-like style with artistic talent. And the contrast between the grey, horrible rubbish and the beautiful, colourful sprawling gorgeous? So amazing, and really backed Gorman’s lovely writing. Although the book is aimed for children, I feel like it can definitely be read by adults too.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes problems can seem too big to fix, though if no one ever tries, nothing will ever change. While the words could be applied to many situations, the illustrations focus in on a young boy cleaning up his neighborhood block, first on his own, but eventually others join him to help. While there are setbacks, their hardwork and persistence pays off with a beautiful garden.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poet Amanda Gorman teams up with illustrator Christian Robinson to create a perfect book about hope , beauty and the environment. While it’s meant for children, adults will find its message heartening. Perfect book to read on Earth Day. The illustrations are what makes this story perfect for Earth day, but a different set of illustrations could change the message entirely. Poem is “a timeless message of hope.”( blurb quote)

[Sarah BT]

I love Christian Robinson's art and it pairs beautifully with this poem. A lovely book about how a small act can create big changes.

[Miku Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope is something that often fades as we grow older, not because we want to lose it, but due to the challenges of the society we live in. The internet, for example, exposes people to harsh comments that can easily harm and demotivate someone before they even begin pursuing their dreams. Something, Someday, written by Amanda Gorman, addresses struggles through the story of a child who clings to hope and dreams of transforming his community into a brighter, better place despite obstacles by the people around him. The book’s empowering message speaks beyond children's literature, inspiring readers of all ages to pursue their goals, whether it’s a career, talent, or passion. I believe the major themes of resilience and community effort stand out in the story. The main character, even when dismissed by adults who say, “That is not a problem” and “This cannot be fixed,” remains determined to make a change. Additionally, the theme of community effort is highlighted when he collaborates with friends to clean up the neighborhood and start a community garden, showing that collective action is key to bringing dreams to life. The main genre of this book is poetry. Through reading this book, I learned that even when life presents challenges, I should never give up on my dreams. Each day I work toward my goals, I take one step closer to achieving them, as long as I believe in myself and take action. I also realized that achieving something often isn’t a solo effort. It requires support from friends, family, and the community around me. Their help not only motivates me but also strengthens my commitment to my goals. This book was a WOW book to me because it highlighted a lesson on how children often have boundless creativity, hope, and a desire to help, but these qualities can fade due to difficult community circumstances or lack of support. I was deeply impressed by the main character’s determination to bring change, despite the challenges. It made me reflect on how one person’s commitment to change can inspire another child, for this book, it can be the readers, who may be facing their own struggles, to keep going and never lose sight of their dreams, knowing that success is possible if they persevere and not give up.

Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were repetition and rhythmic structure. These literary devices added to the quality of the writing by enhancing the poetic style and reinforcing the theme of hope and community. Repetition was used to show the protagonist’s determination to change the community, with words like “sometimes” and “together” appearing multiple times throughout the story. These repeated words emphasized the character’s commitment to creating change and the belief that progress was possible. I feel like the rhythmic structure made the story more engaging. It helped the text stick in readers minds, even for younger children who might not be familiar with poetry, making the story easier to follow and enjoy. Additionally, I would consider this an anti-bias book because it demonstrates the importance of community effort, showing kids, adults, and other community members working together to support the protagonist in creating a garden at the end of the story.

[Vinh Tang · Rating 5 out of 5]

In today’s society, motivation, drive, and passion is hard to come by, especially as adults. Something, Someday tells the story of a child who wants to change the way people behave and provide help in his community. The illustrations provide much more context than the text which is more vague and could be applied to anything to motivate change. The protagonist expresses their frustrations with his community and how dirty and trashed they have left it. He then comes up with the solution to clean it up and create a community garden for everyone to participate in. He is met with much adversity and backlash from the people in his community trying to discourage him into giving up and saying it is too big of a task but he perseveres. He makes multiple friends with his shared ideas who help him achieve this goal much faster. Eventually, after many trials and tribulations, they end up succeeding and have successfully contributed to his community in a positive way by finishing the garden. The major themes in the book were perseverance with the protagonist following through with his goals despite many people telling him he can’t do it and much failure and mistakes in the process and unity with others when he meets people with his shared goals and values to help him achieve it. The main genre of this book is poetry. Children reading this book could learn about pushing through and persevering through adversity and doubts from their peers when motivated to achieve a goal and learn how to make new friends with common goals and values to motivate and help each other succeed in life. This book was a WOW book for me because it is such a motivational book that could push readers to reach for their goals despite what anyone else would think and push through failure. Children, especially, should learn this lesson at a younger age to shape their own personalities and passions for the future.

Two of the literary devices the author used in this book were hyperbole and repetition. Within the book, words like “tiniest”, “huge”, “too long”, “very”, exaggerate the issue at hand and work done in the perspective of the protagonist who has a much deeper passion for the problem and solution than what anyone else would view it as. Many other words like “sometimes”, “someday”, “together”, “maybe” are repeated often in the story to express that not everything is always certain and there is much trial and error when tackling an issue at hand but also emphasizes the importance of working together to achieve a common goal within people who they share values with. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because a big theme in this book is the emphasis on working together to achieve a common goal and the illustrations show many different types of characters of different races, ages, genders, and abilities.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The definition of hope, positivity and initiative.

[Taylynn]

You better bet I’m going to count this picture book because I read it to earn my “Best of 2023” Amazon Kindle Challenge. It was fine.

[Dan Eickmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only takes about five minutes to read this short picture book. But you’ll think about what you read and saw for days. That’s what art does! That’s why it matters!

[myutokki ✶꩜ .ᐟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

100/5 🩵🩵

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good message about helping community. Work well for Earth Day

[Zahro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya benar. Sesuatu memang harus kita coba dulu. Baru nanti kita tahu hasilnya. Gimana mau tahu hasilnya kalo nyoba aja gak?

Ilustrasinyaa keren! ✨✨

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta try to make a difference.

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not crying YOU’RE CRYING

[Hendrix Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby's first book on organizing.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alguma coisa, algum dia (Intrínseca, 2024)

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

O. M. G. Loved this book! I can’t think of a better collab than Amanda Gorman and Christian Robinson! 🩵🩵

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often, world problems can seem so big that we cannot make a dent in change or have any noticeable impact. The overwhelming size of a problem or issue can seem insurmountable. Amanda Gorman powerfully put these feelings into poetic form and, with Christian Robinson’s diverse, representative, powerful illustrations, offers a reminder that small steps can make big change…even if those small steps encounter obstacles along the way.

While this is intended for children, this picture book is a perfect example of how this art form is for adults as well. I continue to be awed by Christian Robinson’s artwork; Amanda Gorman’s words dance in my ears. The overall message and arc of the story, while starting with a feeling of helplessness, left me feeling like I, too, can make a difference.

[Book Buying With Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely and empowering and important.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book get a resounding 5. The text I'm giving a 2.5.

For how much I love Amanda Gorman's poetry, I'm not sure why I haven't enjoyed her children's books very much. It must not translate as well for me. This book seemed mildly preachy to me. I think that I appreciated the sentiment, but not the delivery.

[Josiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something, Someday is the kind of book that shines as a spotlight in the dark. This book depicts the story of a young boy who aims to clean and rekindle the area around him, despite the circumstances he faces. The boy realizes early on that the area he lives in is filthy, yet no one does anything and everyone acts like they don’t care. People tell him that he can’t do anything about it and that he’s too small to make any real impact. However, despite this discouragement, the boy presses on, cleaning up the trash all over the area. While the boy is cleaning, he notices a flower sticking up out of the ground in a trash pile. When everyone around tells him he’s wasting his time, this flower serves a small beacon that keeps the boy going. Eventually, he meets some other kids who share the same perspectives that he has. So they go about, cleaning up and planting flowers in the newly uncovered flower bed. They realize that even though it may not seem like they have much of an impact, the group of flowers that end up growing shows them that their efforts have not gone unnoticed. The people in their community see the change that the kids were able to make, and begin to contribute in similar fashions, giving the children the chance to bask in their success. There are a few themes in this book however, two of them stick out to me as the main themes. The first being that change is always possible with resilience. The boy in the story wanted to create change in his neighborhood. Even though it seemed that no one else believed in him and believed in the change, the boy still went out and did his part to achieve his goal. His actions demonstrate that change is always possible with resilience and perseverance. The second major theme I saw was that nothing is possible without hope. In this book, hope and resilience fall hand-in-hand, however having hope was key for the boy to keep going and try to achieve change. Hope is not just a catalyst in creating change, it's a key in everything that we wish to accomplish. This book can be classified as poetry/novel in verse due to the stanza-like structure of the text and the heavy use of differing writing craft techniques. I feel that there are many things that children can learn from reading this book, but two things stick out the most. The first is children can learn about the effects that they themselves can have on the world, no matter how small they feel. The boy in the story was very young, but still had the desire to create a change in his neighborhood. At first, his efforts started small and eventually they picked up steam as he met a few other children. Starting off small is 100% okay, because the small things are what bring about the big things. The second thing I feel that children can learn from reading this book is the beauty of creating change. In the book, the boy was able to make a small change that ended up greatly improving his home. Children can learn that the effects of creating change are what make human society better, because if we don’t change, we become stuck in a cycle of problematic ways. This book was a WOW book for me because it made me feel inspired to take down injustices I see. Seeing somebody so young make such a profound impact brings joy and a fire to my soul that makes me want to jump in with him. In addition to this, the book’s artstyle really spoke to me and was just a powerful story overall.

The author in this book uses a number of literary devices to enhance the story. Two of the most prevalent are repetition and second person point of view. Repetition was an element that was all over this book. Many phrases were repeated, such as “You are told,” Constantly saying this particular phrase over and over again helps the author to set up just how much people neglected the cleanliness of the area. Even though deep down many probably knew what the right thing to do was, people still told the boy to give and that what he was doing was pointless. The repetition adds extra detail and emphasis to the situations in the book. Another commonly repeated word was “Together,” The repetition of this word helped to emphasize the mission the children were trying to accomplish would take too long to complete by themselves, but together, they can do anything. The repetition once again contributes by adding more emphasis to the importance of an element mentioned in the book. The use of repetition in this book helped the author better communicate their message to the reader by adding more detail and attention to differing parts of the story, thus enhancing the overall quality of the book. Second person point of view was another huge element in this story. One example when the author used this is “You are told that this is not a problem.” By using second person, the author establishes a better connection by intentionally putting them in the story, This allows for them to better connect with the main character and their beliefs. Another example from the story is “You are told that this cannot be fixed.” This use of second person better connects the reader to the story but also allows the author to highlight the dire situation that the area is in. The use of a second person point of view in this book is a huge piece to helping the reader better engage with the story and the ideals of the characters. It also helps them to clearly understand the overarching themes of the story. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because the author carefully detailed their understanding of creating change and standing up for what’s right without villainizing any particular people or group. They don’t include any sort of negative portrayals on people or experiences.

[M. Lauritano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love Christian Robinson’s art here. He tried out a couple different collage approaches in this book and they never failed to charm. I do question the concept of the pictorial narrative here as it adapts Gorman’s text. I feel as if the author is speaking to a lot more than what is shown on the page and children are likely to miss that. There are a lot of picture books with this sort of tone and message these days. This one might be less memorable than others, but it’s always a delight to experience Robinson’s illustrations.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, uplifting, and realistic--this story of a child who helps turn a streetside trash dump into a miniature garden is a gem on the shelves. It's both a story about beautifying a small space and a metaphor for standing up for what is right and working on much larger changes in society.