Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for this ARC. One Can Be comes out September 2, 2025.

This book is such an important one. I love how it showed it’s ok to be an introvert and spend time by yourself, then when you’re ready you can join others to socialize. The illustrations were beautiful and the story will likely resonate with many kids.

I love this book! The message, the simplicity, the fullness, the illustrations. Everything about it.
I will be buying a copy for every single one of my elementary teachers for next school year!

One can be is a story for introverts. A little girl does plenty of stuff alone, but then reaches out to socialize. May be a bit confusing or need to be explained to younger readers.

Full of possibilities of what one can be -- this is colorfully illustrated and sparse in words. It fully captures the potential of each person. Completely recommend!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley. A beautiful book about taking a breath, spending some time alone, and being okay with it for kids. Lovely illustrations and rhyming text.

This is a really cute and meaningful book! Initially, I didn't know where this book was going, and I just thought that it would be a poetic and more "philosophical" book, but I was wrong, and I was happily surprised! This book ended up being a full-on story, just in a different kind of way. I was right when I thought that it was going to be poetic, but it also had a structured plot, which I appreciated. In short, this is a story about learning, friendship, and community; being one piece of a larger whole. I think that this is a great message to spread to a young audience, and I give a lot of credit to the author for choosing to write a book like this. Lastly, I really liked that the writing was more on the minimal side, and about 75% of the story was told through the beautiful illustrations. I applaud the illustrator for having such a good eye for detail and making sure the story was easily understood, from a visual standpoint. Bravo!!

I honestly don't see myself getting this one for my classroom but I did enjoy the calming colors and cute illustrations. The text kind of went over my head so I feel that it may not make much sense to my students either. 3.5 Stars rounded up!

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

One Can Be is a sweet and necessary reflection on how it's okay to be alone and on your own at times, and then equally as okay to be social, make friends, and share ideas the next. There can sometimes be pressure to define yourself solely as introverted or extroverted -- but you're more than allowed to be a mixture of both!

This is a wonderful message with such bright and vibrant illustrations to match. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

One Can Be is described as perfect for introverts, quiet leaders, and book lovers. I can definitely see how that description holds. It is written in simple rhyme and would be a great read aloud. It differs from many kids books in that it is very calm and doesn't lean into humor. The illustrations are very cute and have a ton of details.

Thanks to Broadleaf/Beaming Books for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

A little girl who appears to be very introverted finds friends to help her achieve her dream of having a Little Free Library for books in her community. Cute read aloud for shy and quiet kids who have big ideas and need inspiration!
ebook c/o Netgalley