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SOMETHING GREAT by Jeanette Bradley

SOMETHING GREAT

by Jeanette Bradley ; illustrated by Jeanette Bradley

Pub Date: Sept. 20th, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-64614-171-5
Publisher: Levine Querido

A young maker finds a new friend and collaborator.

Quinn, a light-skinned child, spends the morning in their workshop and makes “Something Great” with string, tape, and an upcycled jug. The contraption can “tick-tock” like a clock and “orbit around, and around, and around, like the moon.” It can even “sing!” Despite its many impressive functions, the Something Great fails to impress Quinn’s big sister and mother. Even Isis the cat is “only interested in the string.” Frustrated, Quinn flops onto the grass. The sun makes the Something Great even more magical as it “glow[s] with all the colors of the rainbow.” A “hi” from above introduces Quinn to a brown-skinned tree climber who is curious about the project. Together, the two kids’ imaginations run wild: The Something Great could be an “elevator,” a “beat keeper,” and more! Best of all, though, the Something Great turns out to be “a friend finder.” Bradley’s latest, an everyday story of a nonbinary child, fits neatly alongside similar STEAM-focused titles. The mixed-media digital collages combine text, images of musical notes, and graph paper for a fitting DIY aesthetic. Spreads are filled with movement and emotion. Front endpapers depict Quinn’s workshop table; back endpapers add small details to show the pair’s future creative endeavors. (This book was reviewed digitally

Collaboration + boundless imagination = one bright idea.

(Picture book. 4-8)