A stellar work that belongs in every collection serving young people.
“My hair is a book. / Watch me open it, / part it, / take a look.”
So begins this creative homage to the plethora of bold adjectives, nouns, verbs, and nicknames that people of African descent use to describe their hair and hairstyles—descriptors that also apply to books. Like books, hair conveys histories; like books, Black hair has often come under scrutiny or deemed unacceptable. Oso’s metaphors illustrate how Black hair tells the story of those who wear it; hair announces its wearer’s beauty to the world, be it cornrowed, locked, twisted, or curled. The author also nods cleverly and generously to other Black-authored books: Camille Yarbrough and Carole Byard’s Cornrows (1979), Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James’ Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut (2017), Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson’s The Undefeated (2019), Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo’s I Am Enough (2018), and even Alex Haley’s Roots (1976). Some of Ladd’s stunning acrylic, cut-paper, and tissue paper collage illustrations depict recognizable historical figures such as Shirley Chisholm, Malcolm X, and Madam C.J. Walker (the first American woman millionaire, who made her fortune on Black hair products), while others portray Black kids, cooks, and athletes, all of whom take pride in their hair despite those who might judge them. The Afro pick on the cover, with a Black Power fist protruding from a girl’s capacious updo, sets this book’s unapologetically pro-Black and celebratory tone.
A stellar work that belongs in every collection serving young people. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780063249103
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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