When I Move

by Carole Boston Weatherford, Alea Marley (illustrator)

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

Carole Boston Weatherford is a children's book author and poet who mines the past for family stories, traditions, and struggles. A number of CAROLE's books tell the stories of African-American historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, Jesse Owens, and Billie Holiday. Other books recount historical events such as the Greensboro Sit-ins and the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. CAROLE's books have received a wide variety of awards, including a Caldecott Honour for “Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People To Freedom”.

Reviews

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at story time and I was asking the families to do each action in the book. Move, dance, jump, etc. Then I got to "When I grind..." and ha! I went blank for a second. Am I really going to ask these babies to grind?! Of course, I read the book in advance and knew "grind" was coming but I was somehow surprised by it in the moment. I recovered and said, "To grind means to work hard!" but it was dicey for a moment. If you grew up in the nineties, you probably think of one specific thing when you think of grinding. Ha!

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

       This gorgeous book is all about moving your body and imaginative play. I love everything about this book. The play, the inspiring main character, and the illustrations that are so adorable, I can't help but awwwwww on every page. A beautiful book celebrating movement of all kids.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dynamic illustrations and fun story about how moving makes you feel.

Some of the "I become..." pieces felt a little disjointed from the movements associated, or just felt like strange movements to include. I think some of the words could probably be swapped with synonyms for a better flow, but I think it could still work well as a part of a movement based storytime.

[Andi Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soft and strong illustrations, enjoying a full range of color but not super fussy, paired with simple, poetic text. Easily understandable action words, perfect for a “move and groove” storytime and could have the audience move with the main character. A wonderful, beautiful book!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea, lovely illustrations. I loved that the text was simple and followed a predictable pattern. However, some of the words/examples didn't make a lot of sense to me and seemed to be there only to make a rhyme.

[Emily Haage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, powerful text. Good read aloud for story time. Bold illustrations that almost seem to glow.

[Y.Poston]

a beautifully illustrated encouragement for dreaming

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful illustrations