A love letter to Lakota traditions.
Two young Lakota children learn about their Indigenous culture from loving elders.
Clara can’t wait for an extended summer visit with her cousin Juniper and their unci (grandma) on the Standing Rock Reservation. The excitement only builds when Uncle Louie arrives in his red pickup with “a large canvas-cloth bundle” and “poles, as long as could be”—the family’s tipi, of which Unci is the keeper. Unci teaches Clara and Juniper through storytelling about “the circle of our tipi” and its connection to Cangleska Wakan, or the “Sacred Hoop.” Nelson (Standing Rock Sioux) depicts his people’s customs with reverence; from burning sweetgrass to painting the canvas walls with spirit pictures, the grandchildren’s cultural inheritance is illustrated with warm, beautifully textured details. Under Unci and Uncle Louie’s loving guidance, Clara and Juniper learn more of their Lakota traditions: drying meat into bah-pah (jerky), beading necklaces and traditional dresses, and the hilarious antics of heyokas (sacred clowns). These practices have endured over time, just like the family tipi, built to withstand heat, wind, and rain. When Clara’s time on the Standing Rock Reservation comes to an end, the rich lessons of her heritage stay with her—just as they will with young readers, who will be drawn in by both Nelson’s moving narration and glowing images. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A love letter to Lakota traditions. (author’s note, photographs) (Picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9781419731921
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model.
The third title in the Ambitious Girl series finds young Maya wanting accomplished women to get their due.
On a school trip to Washington, D.C., brown-skinned, bubble-braided Maya is full of questions, among them “How many representatives are there?” and, while checking out the statues and monuments, “Where are all the women?” Maya’s teacher tells her that they’ve seen all the “popular” statues and monuments. Maya is as dogged (“But what about Eleanor Roosevelt? Or Mary McLeod Bethune?”) as her teacher is dismissive: “Those aren’t on my list.” (Maya’s teacher follows the same list every trip.) Back at home, Maya is newly awakened to the lack of female representation in her orbit—she notices that streets and “even her own school” are named for men. Is there anything she can do about this? Maya’s teacher’s cluelessness feels a bit implausible, more like a plot device to steer the story in the right direction, but Maya’s righteous indignation is believable, and her corresponding activism will energize readers. Valdez gets into the spirit of things with her invigorating digital art: Maya and her multiethnic classmates and neighbors are colorful dressers with smiling faces, which fosters a sense that wherever Maya goes, a warm and ebullient community is there for her.
Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780316561341
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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