About the Book

Book: Bold and Brave

Author: K.A. Cummins

Genre: Picture Book

Release Date: August 31, 2023

Sometimes courage is loud like an elephant, and sometimes it’s quiet like a llama.

Lily, a young autistic girl with a vivid imagination, wants to sing the solo in the school’s choir show. However, the thought of standing at center stage turns her heart a gloomy grey. School is overwhelming enough when no one is watching. Now all eyes will be on her. Will she overcome her fear and be bold and brave?

Bold and Brave is a whimsical picture book showcasing the heartwarming bond of family while visually drawing readers into Lily’s experience and inspiring them to be bold and brave. It’s aimed at readers aged 3 to 8.

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My Thoughts:

This is a story of a little girl named Lily who is going to be singing a solo in her school's choir. She is very scared. She is also autistic and seems to relate her feelings in colors. Her sadness makes her heart grey, but red, especially red polka dots make her very brave. I liked that in just a few words and pictures the author portrays what it is like in Lily's head as she hears the everyday noises of life.

She really would like to wear her special shirt, but her parents remind her she needs to wear the appropriate costume. When it comes time to sing, she is not sure she is up to it until she sees her very supportive parents wearing the special red polka dot socks on their hands to encourage her. Sometimes, like Lily, we forget that we have those who support and love us very much, all the time. Even in less than circumstances.

I was provided a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

K.A. Cummins is an author and an artist. She explores storytelling in a variety of mediums, blending the wonders of science with the possibilities of what if. When not crafting stories, Cummins loves spending time with her family, collecting fun socks, and venturing outside her comfort zone to try new things—at least once!

Connect with her through her website at https://authorkacummins.com, where you can sign up for emails about upcoming releases.

More from K.A. Cummins

“Bold and Brave” is about a young autistic girl who wants to sing a solo in the school’s choir show. While a colorful pair of socks initially inspired the fiction story, it was my personal experiences as a woman and as a mother that most influenced it.

Stories often use words to draw readers into what a character experiences, but I wanted to do something different for this story. I wanted the illustrations to show readers the parts of the young girl’s experience that are often harder to explain.

For some, the smallest actions can take effort and courage, and their boldness and bravery doesn’t always show on the outside.

I hope “Bold and Brave” inspires readers, and provides an accessible insight into one autistic experience.