You Got This! – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Promoting positive self-talk for kids.
Children’s book title: You Got This!
Children’s author: Rachael Davis.
Children’s illustrator: Leire Martín.
Genre: Children’s picture book.
Published by: Little Tiger.
ISBN: 9781801045933.
Recommended for children aged: 3-6 year-olds.
First published: Paperback June 2024.
This children’s book is ideal for: EYFS and KS1 settings to introduce discussion about emotions and resilience. This would make an excellent starting point for a PSHE lesson on positive self-talk.
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Our review:
Charlie is a little girl who has her very own Cheer Squad consisting of a panda, monkey, bunny and flamingo who are relatable enough to be real and zany enough to be imaginary and brought to life by Leire Martín’s vibrant and warm illustrations. Full of energy and positivity, they continually tell Charlie ‘You got this!’ when she faces a challenge.
Importantly, as well as cheering for the more obvious successes, they cheer for having a go even if it doesn’t work out, trying a new skill, being brave when going to school and even remembering to look when crossing the street.
Charlie then goes on to be a cheerleader for her friends, setting off a chain of support that makes all the children feel fantastic at their talent show. When one of the cheerers starts to feel sad and needs cheering up himself, they all cheer him on, because ‘Cheer Squads all need cheering too’.
When Charlie is about to dive off a high diving board and feels scared, she can’t hear her Cheer Squad. At first, she is worried, but then thinks about what they would say, and realises she can tell herself ‘You got this’. She becomes her own cheerleader.
You Got This! is a beautiful book about self-love, resilience and positivity, but with the really important message that it’s OK to feel sad too. Feeling low is something everyone experiences, even those we see as our constant cheerleaders, be it parents, teachers or that usually-happy friend.
You Got This! also teaches children about the value of mutual support and how we can lift others. Importantly, as the Cheer Squad become internalised, it also tells us how we can eventually become our own cheerleaders. This book is a lovely age-appropriate introduction to the importance of positive self-talk and self-belief, flipping a few gender stereotypes along the way for added measure.
Our verdict:
You Got This! is a joyful tale of positivity and mutual support that teaches children that they can be their own cheerleaders, whilst recognising that we all have our sad times. Full of likeable and diverse characters, this is a beautiful introduction to the importance of positive self-talk whilst celebrating diversity and resilience.
Many thanks to Little Tiger for the review copy.
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If you like You Got This! by Rachael Davis you might also like: our reviews of I Really, Really Don’t Like Parties by Angie Morgan, Sunny Side Up by Clare Helen Welsh and Ana Sanfelippo, High Top: Sole Mates by Tom Lacey and I’m More Than A Sheep by Bethany Christou.
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