Mighty Mara - by Carina Ho & Jesse Byrd

About the Book

"Welcome to Sametown where everyone and everything is ... well ... the same. Except our protagonist: Mighty Mara! She's a little different. While her classmates sign up and ready their performances for the school talent show, Mara musters up the courage to also sign up--but unlike the others, she's going to dance, dance, dance! The only problem is, everyone encourages her not to! Mara won't let her classmates' heckling and teacher's dissuading rock her spirit. She forges on, and by the night of the talent show, she just may shake some new life into her muted town"--

Book Synopsis

A young girl aspires to dance despite her disability.

Welcome to Sametown where everyone and everything is...well...the same. Except Mara! She's a little different. She' bright. She's sunny. And, unlike her classmates who are all planning on performing a similar magic show act at the school talent show, she is going to dance, dance, dance! One problem: everyone in Sametown - her classmates, her teacher--they all think she shouldn't do it. And it's not just (it seems) because dancing isn't the status quo in Sametown...It's because they just don't believe in Mara. Mara won't let their dissuading and even their heckling rock her spirit, though. She's Mighty Mara, and she's about to shake she some new life into her muted town. In the most surprising and beautiful of ways.

Review Quotes

"In their enthusiastic and inspiring picture book for young children, Ho and Byrd encourage kids to let their differences shine.a delightful story but also a valuable educational tool."-Booklife by Publishers Weekly

"A thoughtful, well-illustrated work about pursuing goals."
-Kirkus Reviews

"This positive yet realistic portrayal of a young girl's struggles for acceptance and support would be a welcome addition to any child's bookshelf."-Little Parachutes.com (UK)

"In this upbeat and empowering picture book, an Asian American girl dreams of dancing in the school talent show. At first, no one believes in her because she has a unique way of moving; fellow students mock her and tell her to 'stop flapping around, ' and a teacher suggests that Mara join the Mathletes instead of dancing. But after a pep talk from Mom, Mara knows she needs to perform and show everyone 'something new.' It's not until she approaches the stage that the illustrations reveal that Mara uses a wheelchair. Once in the spotlight, Mara dazzles the crowd with her spectacular routine. Contrasting colors in the digital artwork highlight the initial separation between the town and Mara, who is always rendered in vibrant colors, while the naysayers appear muted. As the school begins to support Mara, however, their colors take on the brightness that the young girl exudes. Ho is a wheelchair-using dancer and musician herself, and appended notes from all the book's creators discuss something that makes them feel different from others. This joyful book is worth seeking out."

- Rosie Camargo, Booklist

About the Author

Carina Ho (Author)
Carina Ho is dancer and musician who performs under the moniker ONIKHO. Having trained in dance and music since childhood, Carina joined AXIS Dance Company, a physically integrated dance company that casts dancers with and without disabilities, shortly after sustaining a spinal cord injury. Over the next two years she toured the United States with them until she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, for which she relocated to Montevideo, Uruguay to teach at the national dance conservatory El SODRE. During this time, Carina also began developing her music project, which melds her influences of classical, blues, and electronic music. Today she primarily tours as a musical artist, often collaborating with other disabled artists to promote the visibility of diverse bodies in the arts.

Jesse Byrd (Author)
Jesse Byrd is an international award-winning children's book author and the youngest NPR Board member. At 6'8", Jesse pivoted from playing basketball at UCSB to pursue his passion for storytelling. After working at Google in Silicon Valley and later EY in Dubai as Director of Communications for Middle East and North Africa, Jesse turned all of his energy toward his deepest love: making stories for youth and families with a focus on supporting diverse creators and #own voices material. He's written six children's books and helped produce over 40 others as an editor, art director, and publishing consultant. Jesse is based in Los Angeles, CA.