What does it mean to be beautiful? Our next pick for Picture Book Highlights—a series of posts where we put the spotlight on a brand-new picture book that has been ordered for all our libraries—provides an answer to this question.

Beautiful is usually a compliment reserved for girls, who are expected to look and behave a certain way. In Beautiful, written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, the concept of beauty is expressed in much more than just looks or stereotyped behavior. Girls of different ethnicities, interests, and abilities are shown engaging in all sorts of activities that make them beautiful. It’s a clever combination of text and illustrations: while the words seem to imply the traditional thought of what it means to be beautiful, the illustrations take it further, empowering young girls to see themselves in a new light.

A good read for girls (and boys!)

Visit your neighborhood library to find this book and more!