I Can Be Anything! Don't Tell Me I Can't - by Diane Dillon (Hardcover)

About the Book

A two-time Caldecott Medalist sends tigers and dinosaurs leaping off the pages as five-year-old Zoe declares she can be anything: an archaeologist, vet, U.S. president, and more. Full color.

Book Synopsis

Girl power! Two-time Caldecott Medalist Diane Dillon sends tigers and dinosaurs leaping off the pages as 5-year-old Zoe declares she can be anything: an archaeologist, vet, U.S. president, and more.

NAACP Image Award Nominee!Zoe embraces all the wonders of our world and its infinite possibilities. "I can be anything I want to be!" she tells us, presenting herself in a range of careers. "But what if you fail?" asks a voice of doubt that attempts to undermine her confidence.Bold and sassy, Zoe swats the voice away at every turn, declaring her certainty with a charisma that will encourage us all to silence our fears. Why can't a girl grow up to be President? Zoe can! When the voice of doubt continues, Zoe knows exactly what to say: "Go away, voice... I can be anything... but first, I have to learn to read. And don't tell me I can't!"Caldecott Award-winner Diane Dillon has created a winning character who defies anything to hold her back from achieving her goals. And the key to Zoe's future success begins when Zoe defiantly opens her book, making it clear that both confidence and reading are tools we all need to make our dreams come true.

From the Back Cover

I C A N B E A N Y T H I N G !
astronaut archeologist scientist inventor veterinarian
firefighter artist ornithologist oceanographer musician
president astronomer chef teacher librarian athlete
actor chiropractor salesperson pharmacist radiologist
physical therapist social worker novelist tutor farmer
explorer acrobat carpenter gardener political activist
chemist bookseller photographer video artist dancer
cartoonist composer masseuse engineer police officer
security guard dentist web developer architect clerk
singer arborist pilot forest ranger fundraiser jeweler
acupuncturist animal trainer plumber weaver curator
senator nurse researcher surgeon director historian
seamstress healer environmentalist philosopher poet
martial artist mechanic rancher caretaker economist
postal worker geologist electrician computer specialist
psychologist publisher comedian banker accountant
sculptor designer judge attorney biologist midwife
counselor professor journalist filmmaker nutritionist
zookeeper mountain climber doctor
editor reporter secretary physicist

Review Quotes

Praise for I Can Be Anything! Don't Tell Me I Can't by Diane Dillon* "A young girl of color challenges the voice of fear and dissent in Dillon's first solo picture book....the ultimate in can-do power. Thoughtful and affirming." -- Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW Praise for the work of Leo & Diane Dillon: Ashanti to Zulu: African TraditionsA Caldecott Medal WinnerA New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the YearAida retold by Leontyne PriceA Coretta Scott King Book Award WinnerAn ALA Notable Children's BookMany Thousand Gone: African Americans From Slavery to FreedomAn Orbis Pictus Award WinnerA Jefferson Cup Award WinnerThe People Could Fly A Coretta Scott King Book Award WinnerA New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Award WinnerRap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles Think of That!A Coretta Scott King Book Award WinnerA Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Award Winner

About the Author

Leo & Diane Dillon are two of the most acclaimed illustrators of our time. They collaborated for more than five decades. Their long list of awards includes two Caldecott Medals, the NAACP Image Award, five Coretta Scott King Awards and Honors, four Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and induction into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame. Leo and Diane created award-winning picture books, book covers, magazines, and other art until Leo's death in 2012. Love and the Rocking Chair is their final collaboration. Diane Dillon lives in Brooklyn, New York.