Gr 1-5–Dentler writes a stunningly inspiring memoir told in picture book form. Readers follow the story of the author, whose journey has been anything but easy. After Dentler is diagnosed with polio, her birth mother can no longer care for her and leaves her in an orphanage in India, where she is later adopted by a supportive New York family. From there, Dentler faces numerous challenges as she navigates a world that overlooks her because of her disability. But with the encouragement of her family, she realizes she can do difficult—seemingly impossible—things. Dehennin’s stunning digital art brings this testament to the human spirit to life. The images vividly depict each stage of emotions Dentler experiences, including as she struggles with housework, learns to swim, and runs her first race. As she discovers her passion for competitive athletics, she finds a track team that teaches her how to handbike. This unvarnished, true story shows not only her greatest successes, but also her very real failures and lets the readers experience her transformation from a defenseless orphan to a confident world champion. Her motto “I was stronger, I was smarter, I was more confident!” becomes a battle cry for all who face obstacles.