Sydney’s Big Speech


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A perfect picture book for:
Encouraging public speaking
Building self-confidence
Social Studies and Civics lessons


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Book Description

A perfect picture book about perseverance, overcoming challenges, and working hard to achieve your goals!

“Newsome tells a sweetly empowering story, while Orlando’s illustrations, a combination of watercolor and digital media, are whimsical, charming, and inviting. Wonderful inspiration for young introverts.” — Kirkus Reviews


Sydney learns to conquer her fear of public speaking at school, in this affectionate father-daughter story referencing inspiring role models who dealt with similar issues.

Sydney wants to be a great leader when she grows up. There’s just one problem—when she tries to speak in front of the class, she gets nervous, and the words just won’t come out.

Readers will cheer for Sydney as “No, I can’t” changes to “Yes, I can!”

Sydney’s journey includes practice; encouragement from her loving dad; and a dose of inspiration from such luminaries as Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun, Condoleezza Rice, and Kamala Harris.

Publisher: HarperCollins
Illustrator: Jade Orlando
Editor: Tamar Mays
Reading Age: 4 -8 years
Print Length: 32 pages
ISBN: 9780063141414
ISBN 10: 0063141418