Carnegie Medal winner Peet and Graham team up again (Mysterious Traveler, illustrated by P.J. Lynch, 2013) to tell the tale of how a boy with a mischievous streak and love for handcrafted kites helps keep his han, his home along Asia’s Silk Road, from danger.
Yazul longs for spring days, when warm winds ideal for kite-flying blow. He lovingly crafts kites with Grandfather, whose workshop overflows with long stems of bamboo, fat balls of twine and bolts of silk. When Yazul shows his father, the lord of the han, his latest, hawk-inspired kite, his father is not impressed. He cautions Yazul against cloud-filled dreams and tells him to “put [his] feet on the earth.” Yazul’s heart grows weary with his disapproval. Later, bandits surround the han and threaten to overtake the community, and the elders and Yazul’s father become desperate for help. Yazul has an idea, one that lifts spirits and explodes with surprise. The relationship between Yazul and Grandfather radiates warmth and true delight, as shown by Yazul’s affection for Grandfather’s blue bird tattoo. Benson’s pen-and-watercolor illustrations bring out the complexities of Yazul’s relationships, from Grandfather’s bold colors to simple, sepia-toned lines for Yazul’s father. A treasured broken dish showing the history of Yazul’s ancestors draws readers in with its poignant shards.
Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6144-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION
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Positively refreshing.
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A black girl helps her dad learn how to give her the perfect hairstyle for a very special day.
Zuri’s voluminous head of hair “has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way.” She is pictured asleep with a large Afro framing her face. She is proud of her hair, which she sometimes wears in braids with beads like a princess and other times in pigtail puffs. But today is a special day. She knows Daddy is “worn-out” and probably needs a break, so she lets him sleep in while she looks up hairstyles on a tablet. When Daddy wakes and offers to help, he tries a series of hairstyles that just don’t work. Finally, Zuri grabs some hair supplies and shows him a tutorial. “Watching carefully… / Daddy combed, / parted, oiled, and twisted. / He nailed it!” Zuri is lovely and happy with her freshly done hairstyle, and when Mommy arrives to their “Welcome Home” sign, she loves Zuri’s look too. The digital illustrations feature details that feel just right: Zuri’s thick, textured hair, Daddy’s locs and tattoo, and dark-skinned Mom’s bright headwrap. While it’s unclear where Mommy is returning from (she is dressed casually and has a rolling black suitcase), this authentic depiction of a loving and whole black family broadens the scope of representation.
Positively refreshing. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-55336-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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SEEN & HEARD
A thoughtfully layered text and powerful illustrations address this sensitive topic in a uniquely nurturing way.
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With the help of a legend about Day and Night, a dark-skinned black child learns that she is beautiful inside and out.
Sulwe is “the color of midnight,” the darkest in her multihued family, and is teased in school. She tries everything to lighten her skin: an eraser, makeup, eating light foods, prayer. Her mother tells her she is beautiful and that her name, Sulwe, or “star,” refers to an inner brightness, but she can’t see it in herself. Then a shooting star comes to her window, sent by the night, and brings Sulwe out to tell her about Night and Day, two sisters who loved each other but were treated differently. When Night left after people called her names like “scary,” “bad,” and “ugly,” the people realized that they needed her. The stars added that “some light can only be seen in the dark.” After learning how Night and Day are both needed, Sulwe knows that she is “dark and beautiful, bright and strong.” Harrison’s glossy illustrations faithfully render the features of black people, allowing the beauty of different skin tones to shine, with deep purple tones in the darkness, reinforcing the story’s message. In an author’s note, Nyong’o shares her own past struggles with her complexion.
A thoughtfully layered text and powerful illustrations address this sensitive topic in a uniquely nurturing way. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-2536-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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