The writing has a poetic quality to it, and the illustrations support this feel.
Some of the illustrations I liked, some I didn't, but what I really disliked was the disconnect between several of the images (like on the page where she arrives in India, the bottom illustration could be from another book, or p12 with the 3 mountain views, and then the picture of her in the rearview mirror, which feels like almost a different style, and clashes with the other images, but not in a good way).

I received a copy for review through Edelweiss, opinions are entirely my own. ( )

A picture book biography that illuminates strength in women and the philosophy that believing in the kindness of people creates kind interactions: "I want the world to be beautiful, and it is beautiful. I want people to be good, and they are good." Gorgeous art and lyrical prose combine to tell the story of a brave young woman who defies expectations, seeks freedom, and celebrates being yourself, and the beauty of the world and her people. Sidebars on vocabulary. a two-page spread of what the girl wears and carries; how to make a fire; how to drink tea in India; and how to change a tire add a journal-style feel to the prose. I love that when she goes into a restaurant, she dresses up. When my brother rode his motorcycle across Canada, he noticed that people were more accepting if he cleaned up before going into town. If you respect yourself, others will respect you. One of my favorite spreads is when she soaks in a warm pool in the Yukon, the aurora borealis shimmering above and "She can feel the earth turn." Another favorite page is of the girl sitting cross-legged in a Buddhist temple: "The only sounds: clothes rustling, an insect. The only sounds: breathing, her heart beating. It just might be the most beautiful moment in the girl's life."

In the backmatter, we see photos and of Anne-France Dautheville and learn that she "was the first woman to ride a motorcyle around the world alone" and that today, she no longer rides (she sold her motorcycle at age 72), but she still writes. An Author's Note explains how Amy Novesky came to write this book, that she met and Anne-France, and that he wish for all people is to have the freedom to travel and learn that the world is beautiful and people are good.

Every girl and woman - and boy and man! - needs to read this book. It is beautiful and good. ( )