A Hero Like Me
Angela Joy, Jen Reid and Leire Salaberria
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

‘They call him ‘HERO’, but he’s no HERO – not to me.’
So it says on the first spread of this picture book – a fictional account – inspired by the events of 7 June 2020, when, during an anti-racism protest, prompted by the killing of George Floyd by police in the USA, a statue of seventeenth-century slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour.

Co-author Jen Reid was among the protesters that day, and despite being afraid of heights, she felt compelled to climb onto the empty plinth and raise her fist above her head in a black power salute  – a moment that was captured on camera and shared all round the world.

Written together with Angela Joy, this wonderfully inspiring story relating the events of that memorable day are retold through the eyes of a girl who every day on her way to school sees the huge statue of the so-called hero, in reality a man who sold freedom for cotton and tea. She knows this man is not a hero.
However, it’s not easy to find real heroes: people who stand up for Justice, Peace and Kindness so our young narrator takes things into her own hands. She, her family and friends create placards and march, shouting out for what they believe in.

They march towards that bronze statue of Colston and eventually that towering statue becomes a toppling one that is dragged by many pairs of hands to the harbour’s edge and thrown into the water. Then in it’s place stands a real hero, a young woman with fist held up for Black Peace and Black Power

A few weeks later, (15th July) on her walk to school, the narrator sees a statue of Jen Reid by artist Marc Quinn had been added to the empty plinth. Called A Surge of Power, it was only in place for 24 hours.

Adding even more impact to Angela Joy and Jen Reid’s empowering words are Leire Salaberria’s distinctive, bold, stylish illustrations. Together they have created an important book for young readers; one that shows them a hero can be just like themselves, as well as offering them hope in humanity, in particular in those who stand up for what is right: activism can lead to change. It’s a must for primary classrooms and family bookshelves.