A talented boy learns to make space in the spotlight in the energetic picture book There’s a Griffin on My Back.

The encouraging picture book There’s a Griffin on My Back is about the joy of discovering a hidden skill and the importance of making room for other people’s talents.

In Meredith Rusu’s warm picture book There’s a Griffin on My Back, a soccer-obsessed boy learns a lesson about respect and sharing.

After an outstanding performance on the soccer field, Robby comes to the realization that he is channeling the power of his own personal griffin... Together, they dribble through supermarkets, kick the ball at home, and never stop practicing.

When Robby’s sister, Katie, takes the spotlight with her upcoming ballet recital, Robby feels left out... Afterward... Robby learns that there are ways to accommodate everyone’s talents at the same time.

The story is clear, empathetic, and structured... Its use of rhyming quatrains and couplets... gives it a sense of movement and energy, too.

The illustrations have a digital quality, and they are spread across the page in varying ways: Whole spreads are devoted to single images; elsewhere, pages include multiple illustrations of different events. These complex framings are matched by the expressive faces of the characters.

Such nuanced shifts elevate the book’s atmosphere.

—Foreword Clarion Reviews

Entertaining, relatable tale that teaches consideration for others.

Young Robby learns how to share the spotlight and be considerate of others in Rusu’s third Mighty Moods series entry ... During his soccer game, Robby scores 10 goals and wows the crowd with flashy footwork ... That praise has an immediate effect on Robby’s pride, as he pictures a mighty griffin on his back who helps him drill, run the field, and pull off some seriously cool scores. But when his parents are too busy to marvel at his moves ... Robby feels the urge to once again take center stage.

Robby’s longing for attention and praise will be relatable to young kids who love to impress the grown-ups in their lives ... Rusu handles that crucial life lesson with care ... when his need for accolades disrupts his sister’s ballet scene ... he gets the chance to express his feelings, apologize, and learn how to wait his turn.

Martín Morón’s bright, expressive illustrations perfectly capture the ferocity of Robby’s griffin—and his chagrin when his actions have uncomfortable consequences ... Rusu’s late-in-the-game twist ... ends the book on a delightful note.— Booklife Review