Stories of important Puerto Rican women, told vividly.
Remarkable sisters changed life for the better in the Bronx.
Evelina Antonetty, Lillian López, and Elba Cabrera emigrated from Puerto Rico to New York in the 1930s. They worked hard to improve their communities and pushed back against discrimination. As a teen, Evelina, who spoke English and Spanish, used her bilingual abilities to support and advocate for her community. In 1965, she created an organization to empower parents to fight for better, more equitable public schools in the Bronx. Along with Elba, she advocated for bilingual education and school meals. Later, the sisters helped found Hostos Community College. Middle sister Lillian became the first Puerto Rican administrator in charge of all Bronx libraries. She fought to fund libraries in Black, brown, and poor communities when they faced budget cuts that their white counterparts did not face. The work of the Tres Hermanas reverberated during their lifetimes and beyond. Upbeat verse, punctuated by the phrase “you best believe,” drives home these siblings’ accomplishments. The art, a vibrant tapestry of jewel-tone colors that leap off the pages, creates a visual feast for young readers. Dynamic and expressive, the illustrations captivate the imagination and beautifully bring to life the warmth of the sisters’ inspiring bond.
Stories of important Puerto Rican women, told vividly. (author’s note, source notes, glossary, timeline, bibliography, further reading, photographs) (Picture-book biography. 5-9)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728460444
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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