My first response to this book was anger and resentment.
I got over these feelings, somewhat, but not completely.
This 2024 picture book was, as the cover says “inspired by the words of Madeline L’Engle.” And that’s the problem. So was I–and I don’t think this book uses its inspiration especially well. When I was young, A Wrinkle in Time stunned me for several reasons. One of them was that like Meg, the main character in that book, I had a temper, and the idea of an adult telling a kid to “stay angry” was a meaningful shock.
However, Meg’s anger mattered in context, and this book–in the service of lifting kids up, and getting them to trust themselves–takes that out of context. One line reads, “Anger helps you know what needs to change.”
It might. But anger might also be bullying, tyranny, or simply being wrong.
Children’s books have to simplify, but this one simplifies too much. How does the message to “stay angry” fit with the message later in the book to “stay kind”?
To be more fair to this book, it means well and is inclusive. It empowers girls and shows people of varied backgrounds and abilities sharing a community. I agree with the goals. But this homage is much less than the original, and in troubling ways.
