Hit or miss, but the Black princess is definitely great to see.
From the creators of My Hair (2019) comes a tale about a princess who finds her voice.
Shiloh lives in a “grand house” in her kingdom, and she has a tough problem: “You see, every princess in the kingdom could sing. / Yet Shiloh’s voice could do no such thing.” The doctor can’t help her. The top vocal coach thinks she’s hopeless. One day, she passes by some visiting princes making beats and rapping, and she wants to try it too. She jumps right in with her own rhymes, awing the princes with her talent. Shiloh is still sad about her voice and keeps trying to find a remedy to her lack of singing talent. But when her mirror speaks back to her, telling her to follow her passion—rapping—Shiloh realizes that she does have talent, and she finally embraces and celebrates what her voice can do. In colorful, textured illustrations that combine European-esque, fairy-tale castles with an otherwise African-inspired aesthetic, Shiloh’s kingdom appears to exist outside of time: Diverse Black royalty use both futuristic and old-fashioned transportation, for instance. The text is composed in rhyming lyrics, which readers may stumble over when reading aloud, as the cadence and rhythm are inconsistent and unclear. True hip-hop heads may balk at this simplistic presentation of rap divorced from its roots as social commentary, but many children will enjoy this energetic fable and the unique cultural style on its pages.
Hit or miss, but the Black princess is definitely great to see. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-571-36114-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.
Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.
Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.
Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6608-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
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