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SAY MY NAME

Name: SAY MY NAME
Author: Joanna Ho
ISBN: 9780063205338

by Joanna Ho ; illustrated by Khoa Le ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 26, 2023

A beautifully empowering declaration.

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Behind each name is a story that spans generations.

Six children of Chinese, Tongan, Persian, Diné, Nahuatl, or Akan descent share the meaning and history of their names. In moving, lyrical prose, the book celebrates the beauty and sounds of each name alongside their culture of origin: “Each syllable, / each sound, / is a building block / in an architecture / constructed over oceans / and across generations.” Every name is laden with meaning and a sense of identity, carrying the hopes and dreams of those who came before. Ho emphasizes that it is therefore monumentally important to pronounce names correctly, for “Anything less / is not / me.” The author builds a strong case that everyone should embrace their names and honor and learn those with which they may not be familiar. Le’s richly colored and textured illustrations perfectly complement the compelling text. Ripe with symbolism, each page features intricate patterns referencing significant motifs from the cultures portrayed, seamlessly weaving together images of the past with the present. The backmatter features a pronunciation guide with additional context for each name and culture. Given its focus on the importance of tones and cadences, the title could have benefited from an audio guide. Still, many will find the phonetic spellings of the names helpful. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A beautifully empowering declaration. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023

ISBN: 9780063205338

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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A CITY FULL OF SANTAS
by Joanna Ho ; illustrated by Thai My Phuong

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WE WHO PRODUCE PEARLS
by Joanna Ho ; illustrated by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya

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EYES THAT WEAVE THE WORLD'S WONDERS
by Joanna Ho with Liz Kleinrock ; illustrated by Dung Ho

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CLYDEO TAKES A BITE OUT OF LIFE

From the Clydeo series

by Jennifer Aniston ; illustrated by Bruno Jacob ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024

An uplifting tale of family connection and self-discovery.

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Drawing inspiration from her rescue dog Clyde, Emmy-winning actor Aniston tells the story of a pooch seeking his passion.

The Clyde family are a talented bunch of canines: Uncle Clydester adores surfing, Auntie Clydette digs for dinosaur bones, and Great-Grandma Cly-Clyde dances salsa. “Everyone [has] something that [makes] them stand out”—except for young Clydeo, who doesn’t feel special. Clydeo sets out to discover what he loves, guided by an optimistic mantra: “Take a bite out of life, I always say!” As he tries out various relatives’ hobbies, he asks for advice: How will he know when he’s found his “thing”? Grandpa Clyderton, the daredevil, says that his passion makes him “light up.” Second cousin Clydesto, who paints blindfolded, says that art makes his world brighter. Plucky, persistent Clydeo keeps searching. He finds answers while helping his mother cook for a big family meal. “Clydeo [feels] a warm feeling in his belly…He love[s] his family, and he love[s] cooking for them.” Clydeo’s notion of taking a bite out of life proves to be his thing—cooking. The alliteration of the family members’ names, their kernels of wisdom, and the book’s lovable protagonist make for a pleasurable, meaningful read. Jacob’s illustrations of big-eyed, expressive dogs exude charm and personality and make searching for one’s passion seem like utter joy.

An uplifting tale of family connection and self-discovery. (author’s note, photos) (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024

ISBN: 9780063372368

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)