Weird and Wonderful You

New York Times bestselling author and Scripps National Spelling Bee champ Zaila Avant-garde encourages young readers to embrace what makes them different in this vibrant and uplifting new picture book.

We are the weird. The wonderfully weird, that is. When others blend in, we stand out.

Young readers will find joyful encouragement in this empowering celebration of individuality and self-acceptance. Through an motivating message and a series of inspiring quotes and affirmations, this book encourages readers to embrace their unique quirks and see them as strengths. It's a colorful manifesto for anyone who has ever felt out of place or different, urging them to stand out, be proud, and stay true to themselves.

This book is a perfect gift for anyone who needs a reminder that being weird is wonderful, from one of America's most exciting and unique young voices.

Also available from Zaila Avant-garde:
Words of Wonder from Z to A
Words Are Magic! (Step Into Reading)
Sports Are Fun! (Step Into Reading)
It's Not Bragging If It's True

Author: Zaila Avant-Garde
Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Published: 07/22/2025
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 10.20h x 11.40w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780593568965
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/26/2025
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2025

About the Author
ZAILA AVANT-GARDE is a New York Times bestselling author, and was named SportsKid of the Year 2021 by Sports Illustrated Kids. Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, she won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, making her the first African-American to win in almost 100 years of the competition.
Avant-garde's spelling triumph is just one entry on a very impressive resume. Avant-garde also holds two Guinness World Records for her basketball prowess.

KAH YANGNI is an illustrator living in Philadelphia, PA. They make hyper vibrant art about justice, queerness, and joy using cut up paper, drawings, paint, and Photoshop to show a world where we are free. Kah illustrated Not He or She, I'm Me by A.M. Wild, a 2024 Stonewall Book Award Honor Book, and The Making of Butterflies by Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi. Their art has been covered by NBC News, Ebony Magazine, Mic, and them, and their poster work is in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Free Library of Philadelphia.