You Can!

A picture book full of inspiration and empowerment – real children contribute their hopes and dreams for the future.

"A joyous ode to inclusion, realised in the most delightful, uplifting way." - Cerrie Burnell

YOU CAN...be brave, challenge yourself, overcome your fears, be kind, be brilliant...be YOU!

Come on an amazing journey with 14 children as they grow from birth to 18 years old, learning new skills, exploring new worlds, standing up for their own and others' rights - and following their dreams.

Created with real children, who sent messages of empathy, reassurance and hope, You Can! will inspire young people of all ages to be empowered and believe in themselves.

This is a ground-breaking book from author and co-founder of Inclusive Minds, Alexandra Strick, with an astonishing, visual narrative by international picture book star, Steve Antony.

About the Author

Alexandra Strick is passionate about giving children a voice. She has a background in working with children/young people as well as running various national book programmes (including Bookstart). She loves reading, writing and listening to children talk about what they want to see in books. She is author of You Can and We Can, co-author of Max the Champion (with Sean Stockdale and Ros Asquith) and works on a range of 'touch and feel' books. She also co-founded Outside in World (promoting translated children's books) and Inclusive Minds (which helps book creators consult people with lived experience) and she is a consultant/reviewer for BookTrust. Alex lives in Surrey, England.

About the Illustrator

Steve Antony is an award-winning writer and illustrator of over 25 picture books, having sold over one million books worldwide. His books include the Mr Panda series, The Queen's Hat series, Unplugged, Amazing and Rainbowsaurus. Steve also illustrated You Can! (with Alexandra Strick), as well as the all-new Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (adapted by Peter Bently), Tim Minchin's When I Grow Up and a 70th anniversary cover of The Famous Five. He has contributed work towards LGBTQ+ anthology Proud; Drawing Europe Together and the anthology, Kind. Steve is Swindon Libraries Patron to Children's Reading Services and an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust. In 2023 he was named 'School Libraries Champion' by the School Library Association. He lives in Swindon.