Review - Mighty Mila

Mighty Mila
by Katie Petruzziello
illustrated by Nadja Sarell
Date: 2021
Publisher: Mighty Books, LLC
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 36
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon.com

Mila wants to prove to her family that she’s a BIG KID!

Her plan is to do everything on her own, without asking for help - not even once! She uses her creativity, willpower, and even her new cochlear implant hearing devices, to tackle one big kid activity after another.

But when faced with something new that she can’t figure out on her own, will Mila finally prove just how mighty she is?

Mighty Mila is silly, engaging, and fun for all kids (best suited for children ages 3-8), and contains the message that with imagination, perseverance, and even a little help from others, you can do everything and anything you set your mind and heart on.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute, relatable story about a little girl who wants to prove she's a big kid by doing things all by herself. She also happens to use cochlear implants.

The story is cute and has a good message (i.e., even big kids ask for help when they need it), and the illustrations are adorable. I haven't read that many picture books that focus on disabilities in kids, and most of them tend to feature the disability in a big way. Mila's hearing loss is rather tangential to the plot, and the story is more focused on her showing everyone that she's grown up and independent (which is a scenario that pretty much any child can relate to). I did like the inclusion of little things like Mila enjoying hearing the crunch of her morning cereal, something that most kids without hearing loss probably take for granted!

There's a short bio of the real Mila (the author's daughter) at the back, as well as some teacher-led activities. But this doesn't have to be read in a classroom setting to be enjoyed. I'd recommend it to parents of kids who are looking for strong picture books about children with different abilities doing normal, everyday kid stuff.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.33 out of 5