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THE HEART OF MI FAMILIA

Name: THE HEART OF MI FAMILIA
Author: Carrie Lara
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3253-6

by Carrie Lara ; illustrated by Christine Battuz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 10, 2020

Bicultural kids will feel seen in this sweet family story.

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A child explores what being bicultural means to them in ways that feel familiar to young readers.

The story begins with the young narrator, who is depicted with long, wavy brown hair and light-brown skin, explaining that “In my home, two worlds become one. My family is a mix of dos culturas, I am bicultural.” The narrator shares a short family history: of their mommy’s European ancestor who traveled to North America long ago, and of their daddy, who was born in Central America and came to the U.S. as a child. Readers take a look at the homes of two grandparents: a Latinx abuela and a white grandma. While these two women are very different, the similarities in visits to their homes are abundant: aunts and uncles who discuss work and politics, food from their respective traditions, pets, and gathering for celebrations. Visual details, such Grandma’s pieced quilt and a Central American textile pillow on the narrator’s bed, underscore the fluidity of biculturalism. A reader’s note after the story helps parents understand strategies for discussing cultural identity with children, supporting exploration of their culture and race, and dealing with discrimination. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 68% of actual size.)

Bicultural kids will feel seen in this sweet family story. (Picture book. 3-8)

Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-4338-3253-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association

Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
OUT OF THE FIRES
by Carrie Lara ; illustrated by Colleen Larmour

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE BIG CHEESE

From the Food Group series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023

From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers.

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A winning wheel of cheddar with braggadocio to match narrates a tale of comeuppance and redemption.

From humble beginnings among kitchen curds living “quiet lives of pasteurization,” the Big Cheese longs to be the best and builds success and renown based on proven skills and dependable results: “I stuck to the things I was good at.” When newcomer Wedge moves to the village of Curds-on-Whey, the Cheese’s star status wobbles and falls. Turns out that quiet, modest Wedge is also multitalented. At the annual Cheese-cathlon, Wedge bests six-time winner Cheese in every event, from the footrace and chess to hat making and bread buttering. A disappointed Cheese throws a full-blown tantrum before arriving at a moment of truth: Self-calming, conscious breathing permits deep relief that losing—even badly—does not result in disaster. A debrief with Wedge “that wasn’t all about me” leads to further realizations: Losing builds empathy for others; obsession with winning obscures “the joy of participating.” The chastened cheddar learns to reserve bragging for lifting up friends, because anyone can be the Big Cheese. More didactic and less pun-rich than previous entries in the Food Group series, this outing nevertheless couples a cheerful refrain with pithy life lessons that hit home. Oswald’s detailed, comical illustrations continue to provide laughs, including a spot with Cheese onstage doing a “CHED” talk.

From curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift—this multicourse romp delivers. (Picture book. 4-8)