QUIET IS STRENGTH by Mary Rand Hess and Dow Phumiruk

I grew up in a “children should be seen and not heard” type of home–at least, that’s how I perceived it. It still takes a lot of effort for me to speak up and I’m definitely non-confrontational. I struggle with this, especially when there are calls to action on issues that I feel strongly about, like the freedom to read. I chastise myself for being too quiet. So you can see why QUIET IS STRENGTH, written by Mary Rand Hess and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk, drew me in immediately. The title alone is so affirming.

The first spread, above, repeats those three affirming words, “Quiet is strength.” I love that repetition, from the cover, to the interior title page, to this first page. Every time I read it, its meaning sinks in a little more and I believe it a little more. The artwork, which shows a mom and two kids walking through a flower-filled meadow, is gentle and luminous. It’s early morning and they’re walking toward the sunlight, following the monarch butterflies toward a new beginning, perhaps. It makes me feel hopeful for the journey ahead. Indeed, the line on the next page reads, “It’s as strong as a monarch in migration.”

The monarchs–beautiful, quiet, and strong–lead the reader along as they flutter through a park filled with people and families. On the way, the text and art show that quiet is not only “strong”, but “important,” “deep,” “mighty,” and “confident.” The children also lead us from one example to the next, and young readers will enjoy looking for the children from earlier pages to see what other activities they do and who they’re playing with.

They might not all know each other at the start of the day, but as evening approaches, they’ve all become friends. In their own quiet ways, they give and receive friendship. They support each other, with kindness, a clasped hand, “a humble candle that illuminates the way.”

Sometimes just the act of being together, creating art together, is enough.

QUIET IS STRENGTH is such a wonderful book. It reassures quiet kids who are often labeled “shy,” “timid,” or “weak,” that they are fine just the way they are. It can also show the kids who are loud because they’re afraid of being forgotten that being quiet doesn’t mean they’ll be overlooked. We don’t have to be loud to have a voice, and we don’t have to have a megaphone to create community.

Mary Rand Hess is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, mixed-media artist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Solo and Swing, cowritten with Kwame Alexander. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and two sons and loves to wander in nature and compose on the piano in her spare time. She was inspired to write the words for this book to honor the quieter side of life, where we often find our inner strength and witness everyday miracles. IG: @maryrandhess

Dow Phumiruk is a retired pediatrician who now works as a children’s book author and illustrator. Her numerous picture books include the award-winning Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker and Maya Lin by Jean Walker-Harvey. She was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and now lives in Colorado with her husband and three daughters. Like the children in this book, Dow enjoys quiet days, whether in nature, creating art, or with a book. IG: @dowphumiruk