LET IT SHINE!

A beloved song gets a jubilant glow-up.

Everyday moments and landmark events spark joyful revelry in a picture book that encourages readers to “find determination / deep down in your soul” and let their inner light shine. Both instructive (“Give both praise and thanks / before you take your bow”) and ripe with attestations (“You kept pressing on”), the text has a lilting cadence that lends a cheerfulness to the overall tone, though neither words nor images shy away from acknowledging struggle (a reference to “those who overcame” is paired with images of Rosa Parks and an enslaved person working the fields). Rendered in a solid, vibrant palette, Andrews’ flat digital illustrations showcase a fully Black cast of characters who feature a range of brown skin tones, ages, and abilities; several notable African Americans, including Shirley Chisholm and Frederick Douglass, are spotlighted. The refrain of “Let it shine” appears in triplicate on each right-hand page, each time in a distinct and dynamic array amid the surrounding art. As Children’s Literature Legacy and Newbery Honor–winning author Weatherford explains in an appended note, the text is a creative expansion on the lyrics of the American spiritual “This Little Light of Mine.” Intended “to mark milestones and achievements,” the book skews potentially repetitive for a read-aloud but seems destined to thrive as a graduation present. Additional backmatter includes a brief timeline and list of noted artists’ recordings of the song.

Celebratory and affirming.