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A review by bookph1le
Brave by Svetlana Chmakova
5.0
This author just amazes me. She has such great insight into the fraught social happenings of middle school. Awkward tackled a form of bullying as well, but this book is more explicit with Jensen, who is such a sympathetic character. Chmakova shows how Jensen has a rich inner life that isn't appreciated by those who don't know him well, but she also doesn't portray his bullies in a one-dimensional manner either. They have issues of their own, and what's really wonderful about this book is the way it dissects this problem and introduces the idea of a culture and how that culture shapes people's behaviors. Without being at all preachy, Chmakova does a very effective job of showing how, bit by bit, everyone can do their part to build a more tolerant, just, and equitable culture for the betterment of all.
Also remarkable about these books is how diverse they are. Chmakova populates them with characters from the disability community, characters of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds, characters with many different body types, and even includes a background character in this book with vitiligo. Plus, the way they're presented isn't done in a way that calls them out as "very special"; instead, she depicts them living their lives, presenting all of her characters as human beings like every other human being. She also puts her characters on equal footing regardless of gender. It's precisely this kind of representation I want to see in books, and children's books in particular.
Chmakova is just so talented. Her artwork is lovely and full of emotion and animation, and her story-telling skills are top-notch. She's made a big fan of me, and I'm eager to devour everything she has to offer.
Also remarkable about these books is how diverse they are. Chmakova populates them with characters from the disability community, characters of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds, characters with many different body types, and even includes a background character in this book with vitiligo. Plus, the way they're presented isn't done in a way that calls them out as "very special"; instead, she depicts them living their lives, presenting all of her characters as human beings like every other human being. She also puts her characters on equal footing regardless of gender. It's precisely this kind of representation I want to see in books, and children's books in particular.
Chmakova is just so talented. Her artwork is lovely and full of emotion and animation, and her story-telling skills are top-notch. She's made a big fan of me, and I'm eager to devour everything she has to offer.