Book Review: To This Day

Book: To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful by Shane Koyczan with illustration by various artists

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

"I'm not the only kid who grew up this way surrounded by people who used to say that rhyme Sticks and Stones as if Broken Bones hurt more than the names they are called."

From acclaimed spoken-word poet Shane Koyczan, the rallying cry against bullying that became a viral video view over 12 million times.

Now a dazzling illustrated book featuring the work of thirty artists from around the world, To This Day is powerful expression of the lasting effects of bullying, and the inner strength that allows people to move beyond it.

With a heartfelt personal preface by Shane, this extraordinary poem will resonant with anyone who has experienced bullying, whether as a victim, observer or participant.

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In February 2013, Shane Koyczan's passionate anti-bullying poem "To This Day" electrified the world. An animated video of the lyric narrative went viral, racking up over 12 million hits to date and inspiring an international movement against bullying in schools. Shane later performed the piece to sustained applause on the stage of the 2013 annual TED Conference.
 
Now this extraordinary work has been adapted into an equally moving and visually arresting book. Thirty international artists, as diverse as they are talented, have been inspired to create exceptional art to accompany "To This Day." Each page is a vibrant collage of images, colors and words that will resonate powerfully with anyone who has experienced bullying themselves, whether as a victim, observer, or participant.
 
Born of Shane's own experiences of being bullied as a child, To This Day expresses the profound and lasting effect of bullying on an individual, while affirming the strength and inner resources that allow people to move beyond the experience. A heartfelt preface and afterword, along with resources for kids affected by bullying, make this book an invaluable centerpiece of the anti-bullying movement.
 
See the video version of the poem on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I remember being bullied but after some inspiring words from my parents and my biology teacher nothing seemed to bother me nor did the bullying which pretty much stopped since I didn't give them any thought.

Unlike a lot of those who have been severely bullied it left no lasting effects. If anything that experience helped turn me into a more confident and outspoken person but for the ones who feel like they can't get any help or bullying has left them feeling hurt and sad this is the book that they should read.

The poem is amazing and inspiring and the artwork is beautiful and emotional. You will not feel like you are alone and it will show that you truly matter.

Because no one should feel like they are nothing. One of my favorite quotes is by Eleanor Roosevelt and it is "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Which is something that we should always remember.