All the Ways to be Smart

“[A] parade of beauty that will give children of all backgrounds and interests confidence in their own uniqueness."n— The Irish Times “A celebration of creativity and emotional intelligence featuring a ndiverse cast of kids. A reassuring read for primary-aged children who nfeel like a round peg in a square, academic hole."n— The Guardian ”For any child who has ever worried about being “smart”, Australian nauthor Bell and artist Colpoys offer an expansive, reassuring look at nthe many ways there are to be that way … Colpoys’ illustrations, showingn a busy, multiracial, multi-gifted cast, convey joyous variety and nabundant compassion.”n— Toronto Star “Simple, flowing words coupled with fluorescent illustrations n(created from ink, charcoal, and pencil, then digitally assembled) give nyoung readers a book brimming with examples of how they are smart all nday, every day … Realistic illustrations show children of varying racialn presentations joining sentient animals and benign, hairy monsters to nconfidently explore their world, real and imagined."n— Kirkus Reviews “In this cheerful exploration of all the nonstandard ways a person ncan be smart, the creators paint an expansive picture of intelligence nthat goes well beyond “being best/at spelling bees,/a tricky test.” … nColpoys’s ink, charcoal, and pencil drawings burst with a profusion of nneon orange and green, literally highlighting each scene with an nincandescence that more than matches the rhyming couplets’ jauntiness. An feel-good paean to individuality."n— Publishers Weekly “ All the Ways to Be Smart by Davina Bell explores multiple nintelligences in a way that small children can understand and nappreciate. Every child is smart in his or her own way. Some of the waysn highlighted in a pleasing rhyme include creativity, physical nactivities, music, emotional sensitivity, memorizing information, math, nand traditional academic knowledge … This is a charming book to help nchildren understand that everyone has special skills and talents."n— Catholic Library Journal “Brilliant.”n— Mariela Summerhays, Buzzfeed “What does it mean to be smart? This beautiful book inventories all nthe unique, not-so-academic ways a person might be smart throughout ntheir day; from being good at taking risks, to being kind, or knowing nhow to sit quietly and observe. A welcome message that is a delight to nshare with students with it's gentle and warm rhyming text. The nillustrations depict a wide array of diverse people and creatures in ncolorful scenes that take up the whole page. A gorgeous addition to nschool and public libraries, and a lovely gift for any child.”n— Southeast Pennsylvania School Library Book Reviewers “This book celebrates the myriad ways one can be smart—knowing the nright thing to say, being welcoming to a shy friend, using your nimagination, taking chances. A needed reassurance that tests can’t nmeasure everything, and that we need all kinds of kids to create a smartn and inventive world. This book is comforting, inspiring, and fun!”n— Bethany Strout, Staff Pick, Tattered Cover “An important reminder for readers of all ages that there are so manyn wonderful ways to be smart. Vibrant colours and charming whimsical nillustrations fill the pages with character, and the rhythmic, rhyming ntext makes it a delight to read out loud. A necessary and joyful ncelebration of all the different things that we can do, from “reading, nwriting, spelling” to “caring, sharing, scaring” to my personal nfavourite “drawing very pointy stars”.”n— Sarah R., Staff Pick, Powell’s “This should be required reading—in families, at workplaces, in nschools. I love this beautiful, confidence-building book. I think neveryone will find something here to make them feel better about nthemselves (and appreciate those around them).”n— Tegan Tigani, Bookseller Review, Queen Anne Book Company “[G]orgeous, accessible, simple, true and brilliant. Everything I want in a picture book.”n— Jessica Peterson White, Bookseller Review, Content Book Store “I remember feeling so frustrated as a child because I wanted there nto be more than one meaning of “smart”. This book validates how everyonen is smart in their own unique way. I want to share this book with every nchild (and adult!)”n— Lafe Cantrall, Bookseller Review, Oblong Books & Music “Smart is as unique as each of us and there are infinite ways to be nsmart. What if we all grew up with this message, imagine the doors it nwould open and the opportunities it would provide. One of the most npivotal messages that children need to hear and illustrated with a nbrilliant spectrum of colours that leap from the page and right into then heart.”n— Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Librarian Review, Neill Public Library Davina Bell is an award-winning author of books for young readers of many ages. She writes picture books (including Under the Love Umbrella and All the Ways To Be Smart ),n as well as junior fiction, middle-grade fiction, and YA. Davina lives nin Melbourne, where she works as a children’s book publisher. She talks nto kids and adults around the country about the enchanting world of nbooks and ideas. Allison Colpoys is an award-winning designer and nillustrator based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Allison is represented nby the Jacky Winter Group for illustration.