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Today I wanted give a little review of the book “Yes” The Story of a Dreamer.
Published by Leaning Rock Press in 2021, Yes is written by Frankie Ann Marcille and Illustrated by Patrick Regan.
“When I was a little girl, I had many wonderful dreams. I dreamt of dancing across glorious stages for crowds of people. I dreamt of traveling the world. I dreamt of becoming a teacher, sharing my experiences with the next generation of dreamers. When I was a little girl, after a night of dreaming, I would spring from my bed excited to share my dreams with anyone who would listen. But as I shared my dreams, I noticed something that made my heart sink. People began to frown. People exchanged worried glances. People told me, “no”. And then I met someone who told me, ‘Yes, you can do anything!” and my life was changed forever.” via Leaning Rock Press
In the interest of full disclosure, this book is by a friend of mine and colleague on the Let’s Write About team, but if I didn’t believe in it, I wouldn’t be writing about.
The story pulls on Marcille’s lived experience to share a tender and self-affirming story of a young blind girl finding the strength to live her dreams. The story itself is lovely, well-written, and flexes Marcille’s literary muscles as a first time author.
I find myself rarely a fan of realism in picture book illustration, I gravitate more towards the cartoonish and highly illustrated, but Regan’s illustrations fit the tone of the Marcille’s text so wonderfully that I can’t imagine anything in their place. Furthermore, the design note of having each illustration framed in small circles works both aesthetically and metaphorically. It was a brave choice, as publishers often want full spread work, but there’s a quietness to this text that the framing enhances.
What I love most about this story is that it doesn’t pull punches. Marcille is sharing a lived experience with her readers and being real about challenges and judgements that come up in life. The world is full of jerks. But the world is also full of “Gardeners,” the kind of folks who help you grow. The character of the Gardener is a favorite of mine on a metaphoric level because the protagonist has everything she needs to bloom, she just needs a little water (or in this case, a star) to help her along.
In a book about imagination and dreams, I appreciate the leap of the Gardener having an actual star because, well, why not? I find the star symbolic of all the little kindnesses in the world that people like the Gardener have to offer, and the fact that it’s a literal star in the text is all the more fun for young readers!
The dialogue of the Gardener is another favorite point of mine. Here we find Marcille’s voice as an adult and, importantly, as an educator and artist. Someone who doesn’t mince words. The Gardener isn’t afraid to tell the young protagonist that the people doubting her:
“They’re wrong,” he said.
Which is an important lesson. Sometimes folks are worthy of our empathy and the benefit of the doubt, and sometimes they’re straight up just wrong.
A lesson we later read the protagonist passing onto her own students and “the next generation of dreamers.”
If you’re looking for a classroom text that celebrates disability through the lens of personal triumphs and the little victories that make life sweet, then I highly recommend “Yes!”
The story can be bought via Frankie’s website: https://www.frankieannmarcille.com/shop
Marcille and Regan are also offering virtual and in-person school visits and I believe Marcille is hard at work on making an audio book edition as well.
Images used with permission from the author.