Hello, friends! Our book today is Strut, Baby, Strut, written by Amika Kroll and illustrated by Ebony Glenn, a delightful board book that celebrates female confidence, drive, and friendship.

From their first days, girls are on the move. Baby shimmies and scoots turn into toddler skips and jumps, to big kid runs, leaps, and explorations. As girls grow, they can reach high for their dreams and work hard towards their goals, no matter what those might be. And always, girls and women should support each other, and give each other the confidence to strut their own way.

Girl-powered goodness. Following three friends from infanthood to adulthood, this sweet and simple tale of empowerment and encouragement has a lot going for it. The three central girl characters, as well as the all-female background cast, are diverse in skintone as well as body type (the latter an element that books looking to be inclusive often overlook). The girls celebrated achievements include athletics, academic success, and activism. The text encourages readers to “know your worth” and “lead”. The rhyming text does have an inconsistent meter that can make reading aloud tricky, but the bright and colorful illustrations and uplifting sentiments more than make up for the stumbles. The length is great for even the smallest bookworms, and JJ and I both really liked this one, both for the dynamic artwork and ease of reading. Overall, this was an energetic delight, and we recommend it – Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)