A sensitive answer to a potentially insensitive and sadly common school exercise.
A school assignment to create a family tree and present it to the class causes anxiety in Emmylou—until the child comes to a new understanding of family.
Emmylou’s classmates’ trees seem to have branches on branches, but the youngster has just two: “Mama and me.” Tentatively, Emmylou broaches the subject with Mama, starting by asking, “What was my grandmother’s name?” Mama answers; then her “lips press together / tight / tight / tight” before offering one more tidbit: The recipe for the cake Mama is baking came from Emmylou’s grandmother. Listeners don’t learn why “Mama never says” the names of Emmylou’s father or grandfather, but it’s clear Emmylou is nevertheless part of a supportive community. Subsequent pages interleave other students’ presentations with Emmylou’s interactions with loving, caring neighbors, and little ones will likely be ahead of Emmylou in arriving at the answer to the dilemma. Sure enough, on the day of the presentation, Mr. Li, Mrs. Patel, and Rosa and Gabriel and their twins join Grandma Louella, Mama, and Emmylou on the found-family tree. References to Emmylou’s “good ear” indicate that the youngster is hard of hearing. Hu threads ginkgo branches through her muted, watercolor-in-digital illustrations with the same nuance Birdsong brings to her text. Appearing both symbolically and literally, the branches gracefully reinforce the story’s themes. Both Emmylou and Mama have straight, brown hair and pale skin; their neighborhood is robustly diverse.
A sensitive answer to a potentially insensitive and sadly common school exercise. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780823453962
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez,...
Abuela is coming to stay with Mia and her parents. But how will they communicate if Mia speaks little Spanish and Abuela, little English? Could it be that a parrot named Mango is the solution?
The measured, evocative text describes how Mia’s español is not good enough to tell Abuela the things a grandmother should know. And Abuela’s English is too poquito to tell Mia all the stories a granddaughter wants to hear. Mia sets out to teach her Abuela English. A red feather Abuela has brought with her to remind her of a wild parrot that roosted in her mango trees back home gives Mia an idea. She and her mother buy a parrot they name Mango. And as Abuela and Mia teach Mango, and each other, to speak both Spanish and English, their “mouths [fill] with things to say.” The accompanying illustrations are charmingly executed in ink, gouache, and marker, “with a sprinkling of digital magic.” They depict a cheery urban neighborhood and a comfortable, small apartment. Readers from multigenerational immigrant families will recognize the all-too-familiar language barrier. They will also cheer for the warm and loving relationship between Abuela and Mia, which is evident in both text and illustrations even as the characters struggle to understand each other. A Spanish-language edition, Mango, Abuela, y yo, gracefully translated by Teresa Mlawer, publishes simultaneously.
This warm family story is a splendid showcase for the combined talents of Medina, a Pura Belpré award winner, and Dominguez, an honoree. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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