A joyful tribute to the ways in which Black women use culture and connection to both survive and thrive.
In this collaboration from mother-daughter team Rhodes and McWilliams, a Black girl learns about step dancing.
The young narrator and her mom live in a neighborhood where “not many people look like us.” Mama’s disheartened when she’s racially profiled by police, but she channels her pain into steppin’. What’s that? A series of family friends fill the child in. One of Mama’s sorority sisters, Dr. Jameson, tells her that step is rooted in the history of slavery, but it really took off when Black college students formed their own fraternities and sororities. Aunt Sharifa confides that for her, step was both a way to find solace as a bullied child and to celebrate big wins. Miss Mae, a community organizer, tells the child that step is “a megaphone for resistance.” Above all, the protagonist realizes, step is an expression of strength and solidarity in difficult times. The tale ends with the child joining a step team and finding her own sisterhood. Rhodes and McWilliams have crafted a lively, rhythmic narrative, punctuated by onomatopoeia, that will have readers chanting along: “STOMP, CLAP, FLIP, FLAP, GO HARD, SNAP BACK!” Fluid illustrations accompany the text, which balances the heartache Black women and girls face with the triumph of sisterhood. Backmatter offers more information on step’s origins and continuing influence.
A joyful tribute to the ways in which Black women use culture and connection to both survive and thrive. (timeline, resources) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9780316562713
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)
Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.
Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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