“Twenty-four women leaders are pictured as models of working ‘like a girl’ in this rhyming inspirational poem. The endpapers present the multicultural roster of talented, hardworking women and girls, all apparently cis, depicted in grayscale portraits with their names below their pictures. Each page holds one line of a rhyming couplet with one woman at work in illustrations composed of strong shapes and vivid colors. ‘Stand up like a girl, by refusing to stand’—Rosa Parks sits calmly on an (empty) bus, looking out at readers; ‘Stand up like a girl, by extending your hand’—Mother Teresa offers a bowl of rice to three children of different races. Malala Yousafzai raises a fist in the air, holding a ‘Resist’ sign and surrounded by other feminist signs at a protest march; the young Ruby Bridges stands facing a crowd with calm dignity, with the text ‘keep on going; persist.’ Leaders who overcame challenges, such as Hellen Keller and Tammy Duckworth, ‘prevail like a girl.’ Artists, architects, and writers like Frida Kahlo and Zaha Hadid all ‘create like a girl.’ Pilots and astronauts ‘soar,’ athletes ‘train,’ philanthropists and activists ‘change the world like a girl.’ Minibiographies at the end of the book introduce the major accomplishments of each featured leader, helping this book to double as a fun read-aloud and an informative lead-in to further research. As an introduction to women's power and possibilities, this choice rises above the rest. (bibliography)” -- Kirkus Review
“Degman overturns the negative connotations associated with the phrase ‘like a girl’ by highlighting the lives and work of iconic female figures. Degman includes Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman as well as lesser-known figures, among them Bessie Coleman, the first Native and African-American female pilot; Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel; and architect Zaha Hadid. Degman repeats the title in the context of each figure’s accomplishments: ‘Change the world like a girl, from the land to the sea,’ she writes of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, who appears planting trees. Penny works in stylized collages that distinctively capture the likenesses of the women, who encompass people of varying backgrounds and abilities. In final spreads, Degman invites readers to be curious, ask questions, ‘and discover the ways.'"
— Publishers Weekly
"Wow! Don't mistake this for another book that looks at women in history. The author brings the power of these trailblazers by encouraging girls to ask questions and be curious. The rhyme is exquisite, with words carefully chosen to represent not just the person on the page, but to encourage those same traits in young women today.
This is one of those rare picture books that are perfect for any age! With young readers (6 and up) you can introduce them to famous people. With preteens and teens, it is a simple way of offering encouragement and inspiration. Highly, highly recommended."
-- The Reading Tub
