Girls Like

Girls Like (Midnight Sun Publishing) Katrina Germein & Deb Hudson PB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9781922858726

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Katrina Germein is a best-selling author, published and translated internationally. Her popular titles include Bev and Kev, Fabulous Frogs and One Little Duck. Her work has been Highly Commended in the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and won a CBCA Honour. She is a past winner of the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award.

Deb Hudson has a passion for drawing bright, happy illustrations that evoke emotion and thought in the reader. Her whimsical work takes you to fantastic places and worlds. She has illustrated ten books, with more coming.

Girls Like is a book that encourages girls to pursue their passions, have confidence in themselves and others, and achieve their dreams.

Katrina Germein uses simple, rhythmic phrases to explore a wide variety of activities girls do. Her book is a celebration of being a girl rather than a narrative style text. The language reads aloud well because of its brevity and carefully chosen words. Girls like…Long hair, Short hair, Bow Hair, Sport Hair. There are no joining words used or long sentences.  

Germein truly celebrates the joy of being a girl and shows girls that they can like and do very different things. She often uses a second- and fourth-line rhyming pattern for readability. Beach swims, Pool swims, Dry Swims, Cool Swims. I did have to think twice about what a dry swim was. The message is strong: each girl is unique and perfect just the way she is. Germein has created an empowering book for girls that’s designed to help girls feel good about themselves.

Deb Hudson’s illustrations are not only bright, happy and colourful but also showcase diversity. The stunning cover not only catches the eye but frames the story content well. Different girls are doing different things immediately, so the story lets girls know what the book is about. The endpapers are in pastel colours, arranged in a triangular grid, featuring shapes and images of girls who are active and unique. The title page invites the reader to turn the page and dive in.

Once inside the book, Hudson’s illustrations are full of movement, activity and character. The characters dancing, riding, scooting, playing, and celebrating are lively, endearing and engaging. Their roundness and softness make them appealing. I love her use of whitespace and lots of vignettes to show many moments at once. This allows for variety and individuality, with many different girls doing different things. This works well for this type of book.

Girls Like is a celebration of all the ways to be a girl and is suited for children 3-7 years. It’s a great bedtime or classroom read. I can see parents of girls wanting to share this book with their daughters to celebrate their individuality. The book's simplicity and celebration of self-expression are both empowering and enjoyable for a girl. This book would also make a great gift for baby girls. I do hope a book like this is also made for boys.