Step into the magical world of "Bold & Brave," where Lily, a young and vibrant girl with a heart that dances to the rhythm of her vivid imagination, dreams of taking the solo spotlight in her school's choir show. Yet, the very thought of standing center stage casts a gloomy grey over her heart. In the midst of overwhelming school days, all eyes fixed on her become an additional challenge, and the absence of her beloved red polka dots leaves her feeling less bold and brave.

The enchanting pages of "Bold & Brave" not only weave a tapestry of whimsical illustrations but also invite readers to join Lily on her courageous journey, where every page whispers the importance of being bold and brave, an indispensable trait for every child. Lily, a character beautifully characterized with special needs, becomes a beacon of inspiration as she triumphs over her challenges.

In my heartfelt recommendation, "Bold & Brave" is not just a book; it's a treasure trove of encouragement for every child, urging them to embrace their uniqueness with courage and grace.

"Bold & Brave" is a lovely picture book by K.A. Cummins, featuring Lily, a young girl with a big imagination. The story is all about finding courage, something we can all relate to, and Lily's dream of singing a solo at school. It's perfect for kids aged 4 to 8.

The book's fun pictures make Lily's adventures feel real, and it's full of great messages about bravery, self-acceptance, and using your imagination. Parents, teachers, and kids alike will enjoy this book, which encourages everyone to be themselves and be brave in their own special way.

Lily, an elementary school child, will be performing at a school concert and she's feeling very nervous. She is on the autism spectrum, which the text states directly, and illustrates with Lily's sound aversions and propensity for animal facts. With support from her family, Lily is able to overcome her fears and perform a solo at the school concert.

I love the concept of this story, but the writing was very choppy and didn't feel cohesive. The author states clearly that Lily has autism and is bothered by certain things. The pages jump from home to school to imagination without smooth transitions, and something that would be potentially scary to any child (or adult) is overcome easily with a pair of silly socks. As the parent of a child on the spectrum, this book felt like it was downplaying the very real fears and anxieties that can exist in people with autism.

The illustrations were simplistic, but I did like the use of color to show when Lily was feeling fearful and what helped her move past her fears.

The author chose to start the book with a quote from the Bible, referencing Christ, which put me on the lookout for religious intentions, unnecessarily.

I like concept of this book, but overall I think the text and illustrations felt unprofessional.

This book is wonderful. Perfect for families who have a child on the autism spectrum. It shows that every child is capable of doing great things. In this story Lilly is going to do a solo for the choir and she is worried and scared that she won’t be able to do it. As she prepares for her performance her imagination helps remind her of animal packs and how they help each other. She reminds herself she is a family pack and it gives her courage. This is a creative story that helps express what children can be feeling and how to help them in their struggles. It is a great book to encourage and to open discussions bout the book and autism. Adorable simple illustrations help keep the story going and explained. You will enjoy this book.

Ahh this book. I loved it from start to finish. They're are many ways to be bold and brave. My five year loved this one.

This book was really fun & held a lot of meaningful lessons. It's great that children's literature is now shining a light on how people experience life differently. I also loved the focus on family & support systems. The storyline was very imaginative & fun, I'm sure kids will love it.

Unfortunately, this book is not my style. I did not like the art, and the writing was very clunky (for example, the line “sometimes, her sense overwhelmed her”). I did like the diversity and autism representation in the book. I did not like that this children's picture book felt all over the place. The animals were pretty randomly thrown in, and I rolled my eyes when the parents were wearing socks on their hands. While this book is a great idea, it suffers in execution. I would skip this read.

This book was full of things I love! It started with my favorite bible verse. I am a special education teacher, so I loved seeing the main character, who has autism show what her world is like. I love that she had such supportive parents and a teacher who believed in her. I also loved that it had discussion questions at the end!

This book was so adorable, I loved everything about it, the illustrations were so well done, they suited the book perfectly, the story was amazing as well, even thought is very short I could really connect with the characters. I’m sure the kids are going to be just as enthralled with this amazing book as I was. I will definitely recommend! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this early copy

Bold & Brave is a story about an Autistic girl who works up the courage to sing in the school play. I loved this story and really appreciated the discussion questions at the end of the book. The author wrote the book based on experiences as an autistic person and mother. This book is great for elementary aged kids and the discussion questions are great for opening up dialogue with your child.

Really wonderful & great!!!!!


Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

It seems to be the norm these days to produce picture books that have the dual purpose of entertaining as well as teaching a lesson. Bold & Brave by K. A. Cummins does not disappoint with their attempts at producing this beautifully illustrated book aimed at 4–8-year-olds. In its own way, through a short story, the book explains one scenario that could be generalized as something that happens to individuals on the neurodivergent spectrum.

Lily is a young autistic girl who has been selected to do perform a solo as part of the school production. The trouble is, sometimes Lily can suffer sensory overloads, which causes her to go into deep think mode, suffer anxiety, and generally turn her inwards. Fortunately, Lily’s parents know her triggers and prepare for them accordingly. However, for a short while, Lily is still struggling with the situation.

As well as introducing autism to youngsters by providing a stereotypical scenario, the book seeks to provide further educational opportunities. It poses questions at the back of the story that encourages children to reflect on the story and their own feelings. Whilst the book is aimed at a young audience, it might have explained the condition a bit better and punctuated that it is ok to be different. Overall, I would recommend this as a 4 out of 5 stars book. The beautiful, full-page illustrations are captivating, the use of grey is strong, and the repetitive thought stream is interesting. This book would make for a great bedtime story.

This is a children’s fiction with Christian undertones — this book is good for teaching children about autism ( understanding of how they are feeling inside) and how to look at your anxieties differently and how to be brave and try your best . This book also teaches a bit of how to count different kinds of packs of animals. The target age rage is good and the illustrations throughout are very good a suit the storyline. I love that the author has discussion questions at the end to discussion with your child after reading the book— the questions could really open up communication lines between adult and child. Recommended !

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC , this is my honest review.

This book was a bit hard to follow. The illustrations were busy and not aesthetically pleasing. The story was hard to follow but the premise was cute. I appreciate the book was about a neurodiverse child but the speech bubbles and formatting of the book was a bit difficult as an adult to follow.

Bold and Brave is a story of a young girl who is having stage anxiety as well as she is an autistic child with fears in her heart. Through this book a reader can understand the feelings of an autistic children. We might be considering something very small or meaningless, but it seems very big and huge for children.

Lily's parents and her teacher is trying to give her confidence throughout the story; is the most beautiful thing of the book. It also indicates that children need support system for their growth. Very easy to read and illustrations are captivating.

Must read it with your kids.

A successful look at a girl with some degree of autism and sensory overload issues, gearing herself up to do a choir solo. The way she thinks of animals all the time seems a little unusual, but the connection she and her family gain through what makes her tick on an even keel is actually pretty warming in the finish. So you're left feeling happy she managed what she did, grateful for the family being so together – but still wondering why the heck the dad thought he didn't have to dress up at all for a school concert. That aside, this is very easily read and easily understood by all.

Bold & Brave is a sweet story with a great message for any kid who struggles with stage fright. The representation of a girl with autism is very well done and I really liked how it demonstrates the way she sees the world and processes her experiences. I felt like the ending was a little abrupt and would have liked maybe one or two more pages that explore how Lily felt AFTER the show.

I do appreciate the discussion questions at the end that will help the grownup and their young reader apply what they just read to their own life. The takeaway that reminds the reader that they are part of a pack, whether that be their immediate family, friends, or local community, is a simple yet validating message. This will definitely be a book I refer to with my own kids when they have stage fright or feelings of nervousness.

The drawings were art. We stopped at every page to see and enjoy the details. The writing was just adequately simple, the message clear. No sides, no fine prints to be worried (as a parent). We read four times together and loved a different page most. Thank you!

This is a sweet story about a young girl who has been given the opportunity to sing by herself at a school event. The text is accompanied by nice illustrations.

While Lily is excited at the prospect of singing an onstage solo during the school choir's show, she is also very scared at the prospect of having so many sets of eyes exclusively focused on her!

Lily is autistic, so she reacts to sound and stimuli differently from her peers. And to make matters worse, she is not even allowed to wear her favourite shirt with polka dots, that always gives her confidence, at the event.

But Lily's parents have a plan! How they figure out a way to make her feel happier, as well as to activate her imagination and distract her from her worries, is positively ingenious...

This is a great book to read with children, because it will enable them to understand themselves better if they are autistic, and provide some ideas on how to make life challenges a little easier. And it can also help other kids to understand children who are on the autism spectrum better, and to be kind and more considerate towards them.

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So many elements to Bold & Brave that we enjoyed reading today as a family.

My children enjoyed the bold colors and the fun elements that made the story come to life. The wording kept everyone interested and entertained throughout the entire story.

As a parent I really enjoyed the message behind the story, I enjoyed how the parents were so willing to do whatever it took to make their child comfortable in a stressful situation.