HANA IGUANA HAS TO WANNA

In McKnight’s illustrated children’s book, an insecure elementary schooler with a stuffed iguana is determined to find her “thing.”

Many kids at her school have athletic hobbies—all Hana has is a stuffed iguana with a crooked eye named Iggy. Hana attempts to play various sports, like soccer and gymnastics, but each time she tries, she fails to accomplish what her friends do so effortlessly. When Hana complains that she’s not good at anything, her mother replies, “You don’t have to be good at everything. Just remember what I always say—Hana Iguana has to wanna.” Hana is helping her aunt Mimi clear out her attic later that week when she comes across a pair of shiny roller skates that she definitely wants to try out. Her initial attempts at skating outside are rough, but she’s determined to improve. With Iggy by her side, Hana practices in secret until she decides to sign up for her school’s talent show to show off her new skills. The afternoon before the performance, Hana realizes that Iggy—her biggest cheerleader—has fallen out of her backpack. Kind words from her mother reinforce her flagging confidence, and she does spectacularly onstage, learning that she can do whatever she sets her mind to. This debut work from McKnight is a simple but effective story about having the courage to keep trying to find your “thing” and be good at it. Hana is an admirable character who experiences a realistic roller coaster of emotions, though the world around her is less fleshed-out. Pell’s illustrations are warm and cozy from a distance, but many of her images show inconsistencies and missing details upon closer inspection—for example, Hana is missing the entire lower half of her body on page 24. Hana is depicted as a brown-skinned girl with black curly hair.

A sweet tale about persistence whose text outshines its illustrations.