A picture book celebrating the nuances of living with multiple identities.
When this book’s unnamed, female, Indian American protagonist is asked, “What are you?” she responds with humor and grace.
She is, in fact, so many different things. For example, she is a daughter, a granddaughter, and a mother (to her stuffed animals). To some people, she is light skinned, while to others, she is dark. In her own eyes, she is a bundle of contradictions. Sometimes she is mean, and other times she is kind. Sometimes she likes being with friends, and other times she likes being alone. All in all, the protagonist decides, she is someone who she—and her family and friends—loves. According to the author’s note, Srinivasan wrote the story in response to a real-life incident in which her sister was asked, “What are you?” at a young age. The book is a gorgeously human answer to this dehumanizing question. The spare, efficient text, a series of declarations, and the inked illustrations are a beautiful tribute to multiple identities and a celebration of the contradictory personality traits that make us all who we are. There is humor in some details: When afraid, the child cowers as a thunderstorm rages outside; when brave, she fearlessly (and bloodlessly) rescues a cowering relation from a bug. When she announces her vegetarianism, she's seen with two friends who are chomping on pepperoni and sausage pizza while she enjoys a slice topped with veggies.
A picture book celebrating the nuances of living with multiple identities. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20401-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
A soothing bedtime reminder of a parent’s unconditional love.
Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter Monét’s picture-book debut reassures the very young that their caregivers are always watching over them.
A smiling yellow star watches the equally cheerful moon; both are heavily anthropomorphized, with eyelashes for the moon and pink cheeks for the star. A page turn reveals the star, now downcast and in the corner of a mostly dark spread: “Sometimes the sky is dark and you can’t see the moon at all.” The following spread, depicting a sparkly sky with both characters back in view, reminds children that the moon is there, even when it’s not visible: “Think of me as the moon / It’s always in the sky / Just like I will forever be / a bright light in your life.” Both orbs beam. “I’ll always be your moon / You’ll always be my star / Just keep me in your heart and / I’ll be everywhere you are.” This becomes the refrain after a few more verses that continue the theme of the moon as a metaphor for emotionally present, ever-loving caregivers. Little ones will happily repeat the words as they’re lulled to sleep. The book ends with a heartfelt dedication from the author to her daughter and to parents who balance caregiving duties with careers. Monét notes that she set out to show children that their parents’ devotion endures no matter what—a goal achieved by both text and art.
A soothing bedtime reminder of a parent’s unconditional love. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780593698419
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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