Sheard-Kelly, Kierra with Molly Kempf Hodgin. Kiki Finds Her Voice: be true to you and embrace your God-given gifts. Illustrated by Paul Kellam. Grand Rapids, MI: ZonderKidz, 2024.

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Summary

When the school talent show creates an issue between her and her friends, little Kiki learns what it means to follow your heart and be a leader. Based on a true story from the life of Grammy-nominated singer and actress Kierra Sheard-Kelly, this inspiring picture book helps kids discover how to best use their God-given gifts and what it means to be true to yourself even when it’s not the popular thing to do.

The school talent show is a big deal, and Kiki is thrilled when the popular girls ask her to perform with them. But when the song her new friends choose turns out to be one Kiki’s parents don’t want her singing, she must decide if it’s more important to be popular and please her friends or speak up and do what she knows is right for her.

Kiki Finds Her Voice helps children ages 4-8:

• Learn how to stand up to peer pressure
• Embrace their differences and love what makes them unique
• Better understand how their faith plays a part in their everyday lives

In addition, Kiki Finds Her Voice is ideal for:

• birthday, back-to-school, Christmas, and holiday gifts
• bedtime and story time reading
• encouraging faith development, and building character and self-confidence

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My Kid Review

Children need encouragement to stand up for their beliefs, especially when they aren’t “popular.” Kierra Sheard-Kelly based Kiki Finds Her Voice on a childhood experience which helps the story ring true for readers. The subtitle of the book tells it all – be true to you and embrace your God-given gifts. 

A group of “popular” girls invite Kiki to sing with them in the school talent show. The problem is that the song isn’t appropriate for a young girl to sing, especially not a Christian young girl. Her parents give her the courage she needs to stand up to the popular girls and switch to singing a solo of a church song. 

Paul Kellam’s illustrations are big and bold – much like Kiki in the story. His illustrations complement the text well. 

Kiki Finds Her Voice would be a great addition to the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. While it is a picture book, there is a lesson in this story for all ages. 

I received a complimentary copy of Kiki Finds Her Voice. This is my honest review. 

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