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FRIENDS BEYOND MEASURE

Name: FRIENDS BEYOND MEASURE
Author: Lalena Fisher
ISBN: 978-0-06-321052-3

by Lalena Fisher ; illustrated by Lalena Fisher ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2023

A loving tale inventively and informatively told.

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Charts, diagrams, and other visual aids map out a tight friendship.

Fisher adds occasional lines of narrative, but they’re hardly needed, as the graphics ingeniously incorporated into each illustration really tell the whole story—beginning with a Venn diagram showing that dark-skinned, dark-haired Ana (“me”) and blond-haired, light-skinned Harwin (“you”) may have differences aplenty (while Ana has ADHD, Harwin has dyslexia), but they share enough interests to spark a close and lasting bond. Later, a timeline traces hilarious Halloween experiences, proportionally sized circles allow instant comparisons between hours spent in various sorts of play, and, climactically, Ana literally flops on a bar chart of feelings ranging from “shock” (the highest and red) to a lower and neutral-colored “excitement for you” upon learning that Harwin is moving away. Attentive viewers will spot subtle signs of character development, too, such as Harwin’s absorption in a book in a later scene. “We will always be friends,” the narrator affirms in parting, and, surrounded by images of ways to stay in touch and share experiences long distance, perhaps they will. Last but not least, backmatter identifying the various infographics on view here and explaining how they can be used will tempt readers strongly to page back for closer looks. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A loving tale inventively and informatively told. (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-06-321052-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- PERSPECTIVES
5 Picture Books That Make Math Seriously Fun

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TOO SMALL TOLA GETS TOUGH

From the Too Small Tola series

by Atinuke ; illustrated by Onyinye Iwu ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

Remarkable and timely.

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A young Nigerian girl grapples with the impact of a global pandemic.

While the run-down apartments Tola lives in may not look like much, they are home to her family—Grandmommy, brother Dapo, and sister Moji. Dapo, 15, has a job as a mechanic that brings in so much money that Grandmommy doesn’t have to sell groundnuts anymore. Moji is focused on the assignments she has to complete for her fancy school, while Tola is excited to show off her excellent math skills now that she attends school, too. Then an unexpected sickness sweeps the globe. Initially, Tola and her community believe it won’t reach them, but then things shut down. Moji’s teacher invites her to stay at her home so that she may continue her education during the lockdown. Then Dapo’s employer sends for him so that he can continue earning money. Finally, Tola and Grandmommy are left alone, but supplies are running low. Tola begins work as a house girl for a notable Nigerian family, whom she unexpectedly helps by using her impressive math abilities. Each new chapter begins with a brief summary of what came before, bridging the tales into a cohesive unit. The author empathetically portrays the harsh reality some populations faced during quarantine, along with the disparity between wealthy and low-income people, in a way that will be manageable for young readers. The plain language and realistic illustrations convey a whirlwind of emotions.

Remarkable and timely. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-5362-2946-2

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
100 GOATS AND GRANNY!
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Lauren Hinds

- BOOK REVIEW
BETI AND THE LITTLE ROUND HOUSE
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Emily Hughes

- BOOK REVIEW
L IS FOR LOVE
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

- PERSPECTIVES
Growing Up Too Fast: 4 Poignant Middle-Grade Books

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ALL ABOARD THE SCHOOLTRAIN

A LITTLE STORY FROM THE GREAT MIGRATION

by Glenda Armand ; illustrated by Keisha Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 3, 2023

A vivid evocation of place and era rolling solidly on a bed of timeless values.

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Climbing aboard a “train” to a better life, third grader Thelma joins other African American children on the walk to school.

Again drawing on family history, the author of Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese (2022), illustrated by Steffi Walthall, reframes her mother Thelma’s childhood as a series of imagined train rides—first to a one-room school, then, in class, further on to dazzling destinations like Oz and Treasure Island and back in time to hear about Harriet Tubman and other heroes. On the way, Thelma learns that “Mr. Jim Crow” isn’t a mean man who has driven her aunt and uncle away from their Louisiana town to California but a set of discriminatory laws and customs. “Just keep riding that schooltrain,” her father says. But Thelma has one more train to board, the kind with wheels, when her father loses his job. On the platform, her teacher calms her worries about going to a new school in Los Angeles by handing her a book: “You have your ticket.” Morris uses tissue collage and digital finishing to create richly hued scenes of brown-skinned, actively posed adults and children in small-town settings with, often, train tracks visible in the background. In a long afterword well stocked with personal photos, Armand retraces both the metaphorical and actual journeys, filling in details about Jim Crow as well as the Great Migration and her family’s experience of them. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A vivid evocation of place and era rolling solidly on a bed of timeless values. (Historical picture book. 7-9)