This book is great for exploring what a hero is, and helping children to consider more about what makes someone a hero, and what doesn’t. We have put so many people on pedestals, who really didn’t deserve to be there, but our view of the world has changed and we’re becoming more open to questioning who should and shouldn’t be classed as a hero. A necessary lesson for children to learn. More books like this are needed in the world, books that don’t just present information to children, but allow them to explore and question things around them.

I originally for the opportunity to read this through NetGalley but for some reason it wouldn’t allow me to, but I finally managed to and I was not disappointed.

Lovely kids book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

What a powerful book! The story is poetically written and beautifully illustrated.

The book is written from the viewpoint of a little girl who is looking at the toppled statue of Edward Colton. Real life events are the centre of this book – in Bristol, 2020, the protests after the killing of George Floyd marched past this statue. Protesters removed the statue and pushed it into the harbour. Some had previously believed he was a hero but in reality he was a slave owner who took away people’s liberty to freedom.

This books covers a really poignant time in history. It will, hopefully, allow representation and for children to feel heard. There are great real life situations at the back of the book which will help start important conversations. This is a call to action in hope of a kinder, more empathetic and understanding world.

Change starts with our children. Books like this need to get into libraries, classrooms and homes.

The 21st Century has been rife with issues surrounding Black History, racism and trying to right the wrongs done over the years toward Black People around the world. A Hero Like Me highlights the story of the pulling down of the statue of Edward Colston, a 17th century merchant and slave trader that was thrown in the Bristol Harbor after the killing of George Floyd. One of the protestors, Jen Reid, climbed up on the plinth with her first raised. While you may or not believe in the removing or pulling down of statues, this book is about Heroes and what makes a Hero. In the book it shares the thoughts of a young girl who walks by the statue each day:

"Heroes are hard to find. She looks for them around corners, under rocks, and on TV, but there are none that she can see. And so, the little girl marches and shouts for them instead. And that statue – he doesn’t belong. He doesn’t stand for Kindness. He doesn’t stand for Peace."

This is a great book to use when learning about Black History, Reconciliation, Critical Thinking and especially, "What Makes a Hero". This is a picture book, but the events and discussions it will evoke means it can be read, shared, and discussed with people including adults.

A children's book modeled after her own experience, "A Hero Like Me" by Jen Reid (and Angela Joy) shares the story of what it's like to stand up for what is right - even if it goes against what others are saying. Jen was one of the protesters during an anti-racism event in Bristol, England in 2020. Tearing down a statue of a long celebrated slave trader, Jen stood on the platform and raised her fist in protest. This story follows the event through the eyes of a little girl who has the courage to be her own hero.

Based on a true story, this is about a brave girl who was part of a protest to remove a statue of a slave owner in England. It shows how kids can make a difference and that they can decide who is important and heroic to them. It shows how not all people in history are role models.

Jamilah loves superheroes but doesn't fit the typical superhero mould because of her hijab. With the help of her supportive mother and a chance encounter with a real-life superhero, Jamilah learns that true heroism comes from within and that being true to yourself is the most important thing of all.

The book encourages your students to embrace their unique identities, recognise heroism in everyday acts of kindness and bravery, and celebrate diversity and self-confidence.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for the ARC of this!

A really pretty book about what heroes should stand for and what makes a real hero. Based on true events in Bristol, England after the killing of George Floyd in 2020, we see the main character noticing statues of historical figures that aren’t heroic and don’t look like her. She goes on to protest and look around for those spreading kindness, courage, justice and peace. This was very easy to read aloud, with a pleasant tempo to the words - my kids had no trouble staying focused for the length of the book.

A Hero Like Me is an inspiring book about a young girl who does not see 'Heroes' as her 'Heroes'. It is based on the real event in Bristol where a statue of seventeenth-century slave trader Edward Colston, a man who sold freedom for cotton and tea, was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour. To quote the book: "he doesn't belong here. He doesn't stand for Courage. He doesn't stand for Peace. Maybe he shouldn't stand here at all."
The pictures are stunning and the last two pages inform of the real events and why there was an anti-racism protest, which resulted in the statue being pulled down. The Questions aren't also something for kids but for adults as well. How many times have we passed statues? How many of them actually deserve a statue?

This children's picture book is based on the events of June 7, 2020, in Bristol, England. A statue of the seventeenth-century slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour during a George Floyd anti-racism protest.

Jen Reid was one of the protesters that day and she spontaneously climbed on the empty statue base and raised her fist high above her head. This moment was captured on camera and shared around the world.

A statue of Jen was placed on the empty statue base and was called "A Surge of Power". It gained widespread attention for the 24 hours it was in place.

This is a powerful book that deals with racism and activism.

The book provides parents and teachers an opportunity to discuss these issues with children and answer their questions. Children of all races and nationalities could benefit from reading and discussing this book.

The illustrations are excellent and add value to the text. The story is appropriate for children of all ages. Highly Recommended.

Inspired by real events, A Hero Like Me explores what makes a hero and how to speak up for what you believe in. Drawing on the events following the death of George Floyd the protagonist joins in marches and witnesses the pulling down of a statue representing a former slave owner. With beautiful pictures and accessible language this is a great book to teach children about ways to stand up for what they believe in and explore recent events in a child-friendly way.

An important book that creates great opportunities for discussion with the little ones - about freedom, history, heroes, BLM, and more. I loved that it provides historical context at the end and a series of questions to debate with the kids. It really fosters critical thinking.

The art was really nice, but it did not stand out with anything. It aids in delivering the messages of the book and in capturing the history.

Nice children book about the necessity for children to see diversity and representation in their life.
They need heroes like them and not only old white man.
The illustrations are really nice and the story is simple and easily understandable by kids. I recommend!

I thought that this was a really well written book and I loved the positive message that comes through in the writing.

It was easy to read and follow and the layout of the book was nice, clear, bright and attractive too

The illustrations worked well with the story and helped bring it all to life, whilst I don't necessarily agree personally with changing the past in a way that eradicates it, as I think we need to learn from it as opposed to wipe it out, the book is still very good and I do love that the little girl in the story was able to see a Hero like her in its place.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended!

This book is fascinating- it touches on how there are statues in public places of people who are seen as "heroes" but actually have benefited from slavery (this book is set in the UK, but might also be relevant for North American or other European countries as well). The book is written from the perspective of a black girl. It is inspired by a real event in Bristol where the protestors of the Black Lives Matter movement took down the statue, and one of the protestors stood up on the plinth to show that she stands for justice and equity. A sculptor got inspired and created a sculpture of that protestor, They then placed the new statue on the platform.

I thought that the authors did a great job telling the story. I wish they had stated plainly that this person benefited from slavery- instead of kind of circling around it: "a man who sold freedom for cotton and tea." I think that this book would also benefit from having a glossary- explaining some key terms for the children.

A well written book - I liked the verse like style of the writing and the illustrations too. The message was put across well and would open up valuable discussions with pupils around the BLM movement, equal rights and the use of protests. I will definitely be seeing if this can be incorporated into PSHE planning.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Books like A Hero Like Me are so important. Not only to help kids (and some adults) understand what's going on around them, but to give them hope that things can change.

I'm Canadian, and last year a group of Indigenous people, protesting the lack of government help to bring the bodies found of children killed in residential schools home to their families, pulled down a Queen Victoria statue. Although not the same historical figure, the message is the same. These figures have done harm to generations of people and the pain/sadness should not be felt every time they walk by them on the street.

We are not erasing history, we are showing that we have learned from it and making the world better for future generations.

(I apologize if I offended anyone by compare the hardships of two very different groups of humans.
My hope was not to draw attention away from then injustices happening to Black Americans, but to show that this is happening in our backyard too. This really is a wonderful teaching tool, with language kids will understand and remember. )

A Hero Like Me does a great job at explaining why we must remove statues and monuments to white supremacists and their ilk. Honestly, I feel like this is a book that needs to be given to many adults who are critical of the idea and practice -- and they should have to go through the questions for reflection at the end of the book.

The book is visually beautiful, and the story told through the point of view of a young Black girl is strikingly poignant. I loved everything about this book, from the poetic writing to the way it so thoroughly explains big topics in a way that is easily digestible for children.

I love this. Put this book everywhere.

The book is based on a real event in Bristol, England. Told from the perspective of a young girl, she reflects on statues and the people being called “heroes.” She has discussions and is included in a protest march. The statue of a man who “sold freedom for cotton and tea” is toppled, and a black woman from the protest stands on top of the plinth to take its place. It is a moment that sparked an artist to create the woman in statue form to later be placed where the old statue had stood.

The illustrations and language make it clear for young children to understand taking what once was of “men who didn’t know any better” and replacing them with those who stand for “kindness, courage, peace, and justice.”

The last pages summarize the real events and give a list of discussion questions. It is so important to think about statues: what do they represent, why are they placed where they are, and what makes a statue important. We should question statues, and many times young people do.

A relatable story about the process of revisiting our nation's history and, in doing so, tearing down ages-old idols and "heroes."

Angela Joy and Jen Reid tell an accessible story about a complicated movement to reclaim truth and history and they put young, black women at the center -- where they belong. It walks children through the reasons behind the dismantling of broken systems from a young girl's perspective. The young girl sees memorials to flawed heroes and realizes the wrongs that need to be righted. It's not until she sees "A hero, not made of bronze, brick, or stone but of curly hair and courage, skin, strength, and bone" that she has hope for heroes.

I look forward to sharing this story with my child and having difficult conversations about what heroes really look like and how to someday be a hero who holds "Peace and Justice,
Courage and Kindness in their hands…"