Dandi McLion Has Her Say!

Dandi McLion, a “beautiful and proud dandelion,” is tired of being mistreated and misunderstood by humans, who assume that dandelions are weeds. Guidance from her mother, to “use my voice to speak for all the dandelions in the world,” prompts Dandi to present at the next human town hall meeting. Mustering her courage, Dandi approaches a podium to address a room populated by people portrayed with varying skin tones. During her speech, she regales the crowd with dandelion facts, as when she declares that dandelions have “more Vitamin C than tomatoes and more Vitamin A than spinach.” Dialogue detailing topics such as allyship and compassion is formatted using large, underlined lettering that calls out specific phrases and provides in-text definitions, as when she asserts that humans have been prejudiced against dandelions. Cheerful, brightly colored oil-pastel-like illustrations by Hider render Dandi as expressive and radiant, with a vibrant head of golden florets. Focused on modeling self-confidence and adult support, McLaurin centers a protagonist who’s unafraid of speaking up about what she believes in. Back matter includes a glossary and source notes. Ages 4–10. (Self-published)