I Can Be Anything! Don't Tell Me I Can't

Book excerpt: 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. Like most girls and boys, Zoe enthusiastically embraces 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 the fears projected onto us by our world. 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!" 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.