Look, it's me!

Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys are the author-illustrator dream team who encourages us to celebrate all the different, wonderful ways there are to be smart. There is strength and value in creativity, in curiosity, in thoughtfulness, in empathy, in humour, and these are all present throughout the book.

The bright neon orange and green illustrations bring us a diverse cast of children and imaginary folk, who show us their talents and their strengths.

If you have children who are wondering about their smarts and whether they have them, ‘All the Ways to Be Smart’ is the reminder they need of how many ways there are to be a smart … and that everybody is smart.

I genuinely think this book opens an incredibly necessary conversation about how we view “intelligence” and emphasises the need to value each individual, no matter how they express “intelligence.” It would be especially beneficial in educational settings, where we can encourage children, teachers, families and caregivers to celebrate creativity, curiosity, thoughtfulness, empathy, humour, just as much as we currently celebrate “traditional” ways of being smart.