ALA Booklist (Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

An artist at a sketchbook draws a girl and names her Viva, but she's not satisfied with how she looks. But as the artist prepares to start over, Viva springs up from the page, takes hold of the pencil, and proclaims, "Excuse me, Lady Artist, ma'am, / but I like me the way I am. / Before you change one line or dot, / can I try . . . to rock what I got?" Still, the artist tries changing Viva's hair, then body, even background, but with each edit, Viva spiritedly interrupts. Finally, in a poignant scene, the artist takes Viva's words to heart for an affirming, inspiring conclusion. Charming illustrations creatively integrate realistically detailed elements of the artist (her hands, pencil, and eraser, for instance) with colorful sketchbook drawings, particularly animated, interactive Viva. Rhymes and repetition lend liveliness, from the text on the page to Viva's speech-balloon exhortations. A supportive, upbeat read and engaging approach to the topic of appreciating and celebrating who you are at every age, for children and their adults to share.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

An artist's sketch of Viva, a smiling girl with curly hair and light-brown skin, comes to life on the page. The artist tries to re-draw Viva while the original looks on in disapproval ("can I try...to rock what I got?") until they finally reach a mutual understanding. Kerascokt's illustrations bring a sketchpad to life; pages are busy with doodles, sketches, ink stains, and mistakes.

Kirkus Reviews

An artist's sketch of a little girl comes alive with a message of self-love in Berger and Kerascoët's debut collaboration."Once upon a black piece of paper, where anything could happen… / an artist picked up a pencil and started to draw." And where pencil meets paper, little Viva comes to be. But something about Viva isn't right, or so her artist thinks, and down comes the eraser until Viva jumps right off the page in protest. "Excuse me, lady artist, ma'am, / but I like me the way I am," she insists, and as her artist tries changing Viva's hair, her body, and her background (all to no avail), Viva responds with variations on a refrain: "Find what is yours and carve out your spot… / take it and love it and rock it a lot!" Berger's prose is a joyous celebration of self-love and empowerment, as Viva not only challenges her artist's perfectionism to reframe supposed flaws, but also reminds her that "rock what ya got" was once the artist's own powerful mantra. Kerascoët captures this same exuberance and breathes life into every inch of the page, juxtaposing the realistic world of the artist with Viva's two-dimensional vibrancy. Nostalgia features heavily here but doesn't weigh down the otherwise energetic narrative. Viva's look is informed by the artist's self-image, and both are illustrated as racially ambiguous, with beige skin and vigorously curly dark hair.A book for new and seasoned artists alike. (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal (Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

PreS-Gr 2 An artist puts pen to a blank page, and creates a little girl named Viva. Feeling that something is not quite right with her creation, she attempts to erase the drawing. But Viva has come to life, and has a thing or two to say, because she likes herself just the way she is. The artist tries to reimagine the girl with different hair and body types, and even wonders if changing the story's background will help. But all along, Viva is there with her cheery mantras insisting that we all carve out a spot in this world and be who we are. In the end, Viva points to a book the author had written many years earlier when she was Viva's age, only to reveal that the artist was more or less drawing Viva in her own young image. This is an upbeat story with a charming character whose declarations are infectious. The vivacious watercolor illustrations are a subtle mix of the author's real world combined with Viva's more childlike fictional one. VERDICT A book with a terrific message about finding the best parts of ourselves without judgment, and reminding all readers to "rock what ya got!" An excellent addition to picture book shelves. Jessica Marie, Salem Public Library, OR