You Can Do It! [Hardcover]

Tony Dungy (Author), Amy June Bates (Illustrator)

Book Description

Tony Dungy's little brother, Linden, is a third grader who is having a bad day at school. Linden is the youngest of the Dungy family and the least motivated because he hasn't found "it." In a family where everyone seems to have found their special talent, all Linden knows is that he wants to make people happy.

With encouragement from his parents, a helping hand from his older brother Tony, and inspiration from God, Linden learns that if he dreams big and has faith, he can do anything!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—This is a sweet and earnest story about the author's younger brother, who struggles to name his "it" and begin the road to fulfillment in life. The Dungy family puts its faith in God and encourages the boys to do so too. When a toothache brings Linden to the dentist's office, he finds the excitement he's been looking for and ends up becoming a dentist himself. Dungy is a natural storyteller, and readers will buy into this warm family despite some disconnected narrative elements and a tired plot. Bates is skilled at creating charming characters, and her watercolor paintings evoke a vibrant family life. Dungy's name will be familiar to Pro Football fans.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC
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About the Author

Tony and Lauren Dungy are active members of a number of family, faith, and community-based organizations including All Pro Dad, iMom, Fellowship of Chrstian Athletes, Mentors for Life, Family First, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and the Boys and Girls Club of America. Tony is a former NFL player and retired head coach of the 2006 Superbowl Champions, the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.

Amy June Bates has illustrated many books for children, including Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight by Kathleen Krull, The Dog Who Belonged to No One by Amy Hest and You Can Do It! by Tony Dungy. She graduated from Brigham Young University and now lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three children. Illustrating books has always been her dream.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little Simon Inspirations; First Edition edition (July 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416954619
• ISBN-13: 978-1416954613
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Sports > Football

More About the Author

Tony Dungy led the Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl victory on February 4, 2007, the first such win for an African American coach. Dungy had taken 8 of his previous 10 teams to the playoffs. With this victory, he joined Mike Ditka and Tom Flores as the only individuals to win the Super Bowl as a player and head coach.

Dungy joined the Colts in 2002 after serving as the most successful head coach in Tampa Bay history. He has also held assistant coaching positions with the University of Minnesota, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings. Before becoming a coach, Dungy played three seasons in the NFL.

Dungy has been involved in a wide variety of charitable organizations, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action, Mentors for Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, the Prison Crusade Ministry, and All Pro Dad. He also works with Basket of Hope, the Black Coaches Association National Convention, Indiana Black Expo, the United Way of Central Indiana, and the American Diabetes Association.

He and his wife, Lauren, are the parents of seven children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Championship Children's Book from Coach Dungy, July 21, 2008

By 

C. Stephans - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: You Can Do It! (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Dungy's book is promoted to be for children ages 4-7, but I don't think you can put an age limit on its topic which is reminding readers (adults too) to trust in God and dream big. The book conveys an episode in a family with 4 children--2 brothers & 2 sisters. It seems all of the children know their dreams and talents except for Linden who is unsure about his talents or his dream for his life.

A toothache and the support and encouragement of his family lead him to his desire. The family encourages Linden to trust God, and they pray for him that God will show him his "it" for his life. Even in a such a brief episode, there is a caring family dynamic conveyed in the book that is refreshing and serves as an excellent model.

The story emphasizes that God has made each of us special and takes an interest in our lives. It is from him that we learn our "dream" for our lives. The story is for children and I think for parents who play a role, along with God, in shaping and guiding children.

I also think boys and girls will enjoy reading a book for children by a Super Bowl coach. The illustrations are excellent and very colorful. The book's size is just right.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leadership....for a Change, July 24, 2008

By 

Bicycle Day - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: You Can Do It! (Hardcover)

Faith. Family. Love.

In a time when values oftentimes have more to do with pop culture than the family, Tony Dungy provides a wonderful story for young people, though adults can learn from it, too.

The wonderfully-illustrated book - done by Amy June Bates - tells the story of Dungy's younger brother, Linden, as he figures out his life dream and is encouraged by his family to pursue his goal to become a dentist.

Faith and the support of a loving family help Linden as he turns his frustration in being the only one in his class or at home who does not know what he wants to be when he grows to positively pursuing and ultimately achieving his dream.

It is an inspirational story of leadership on the field of life and the outcome that will occur when positive energy and faith are allowed to carry a person over the goal-line.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Children's book I've read to date!, July 26, 2008

By 

Senora Gose (Bryan, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: You Can Do It! (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I am absolutely WOWED by this book. My four eldest children, ages 6, 4, 3, and 19 months, all thoroughly enjoyed this book, made comments as we read, and asked EXCELLENT questions. The book is Christian based and is also based on real life, both excellent traits!

The quality is TOP-NOTCH. The full color pictures (I'm talking NO WHITE SPACE on a single page!) are truly works of art in water-color, and not overwhelming or too kiddish. The moral of the story is not forced - that everyone has a dream, an "it" to find. When the big brother prays for his little brother at dinner time, I just about lost it, couldn't contain my tears, but our children all smiled at one another.

So, sibling bonding, good messages, dream big, pray a lot, and go for your dreams! What a fanTAStic book! We're reading it again tonight. We're not big sports people, but I'm sure the fact that it's written by a football star is also a huge plus among boys that know more about that. Buy it! You'll LOVE IT! This is WORTH having in your HOME library, not just at the public library.

Oh, and it even has a nice book jacket - something most kids' books don't have these days.

Sra. Gose
Authorof Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 & Spanish Fun Activity Calendar