Falters in both writing and perspective.
In the village of Mugu in Nepal, Sunakali Budha’s poor family holds traditional views about gender.
At home, Sunakali and her girlfriends are required to cook, clean, and do laundry. In fact, they have so many responsibilities that none of them are in school any longer. While they graze the family goats—another one of their duties—the girls play soccer with a ball donated to their village. Suddenly, a male coach arrives in Mugu and offers to form the girls into a soccer team. The girls’ parents are unsure at first, but the village chief convinces them to give the coach a chance. Eventually, the girls compete in tournaments across Nepal, winning game after game. Sunakali becomes so famous that she moves to Kathmandu, where she enrolls in a training school for soccer players. Her father, initially wary of Sunakali’s talents, begins to support her dream to go pro. The book’s text can be difficult to follow, particularly in the first few pages, in which the perspective switches abruptly from first to third person and bobbles between past and present tense. The illustrations accurately portray rural and urban Nepal, but their cartoony quality at times detracts from the gravity of the story. Particularly in the first third of the story, the author emphasizes Mugu’s poverty and gender inequality rather than the girls’ athletic experiences and talents. Although this book is based on real events and people, there is no backmatter or sourcing to provide additional context or authority. (This book was reviewed digitally with 12.6-by-18.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 47.5% of actual size.)
Falters in both writing and perspective. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: May 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4788-7377-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Reycraft Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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