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OUR STORY STARTS IN AFRICA

Name: OUR STORY STARTS IN AFRICA
Author: Patrice Lawrence
ISBN: 978-1-4197-6022-8

by Patrice Lawrence ; illustrated by Jeanetta Gonzales ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2022

An informative, visually rich picture book that personalizes African history and entices readers to learn more.

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One child’s journey to taking pride in and inspiration from her African heritage.

Paloma, a little Black girl with a curly Afro, visits her relatives in Trinidad and is eager to spend time with her three cousins. But they won’t play with her because her accent sounds so different from theirs. She instead spends time with her aunt, Tante Janet, who informs her that while their family may be different, they all have common roots in Africa. Tante Janet unwraps her headwrap to undo her cornrows while telling Paloma about historical African arts; the warrior Queen Amanirenas, who fought Romans 2,000 years ago; techniques Africans used to document their own history and culture; the slave trade; and more. In the yard, they pick limes for their ginger beer, and when Paloma asks Tante Janet about her cocoa pods, Tante Janet tells about other natural resources, like frankincense and ebony, which made some African rulers successful and rich. Paired with Lawrence’s enlightening text, Gonzales’ bright, colorful illustrations of Paloma’s world emphasize the verdant flora of Trinidad; by contrast, the scenes depicting African history have more of a sepia tone. The text never identifies Paloma’s home, stating only that she was not born in Africa, which suggests that her belonging to the African diaspora is more important than where in the diaspora she comes from. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An informative, visually rich picture book that personalizes African history and entices readers to learn more. (more information on Africa, further reading) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-4197-6022-8

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Magic Cat

Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
GRANNY CAME HERE ON THE <i>EMPIRE WINDRUSH</i>
by Patrice Lawrence ; illustrated by Camilla Sucre

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)