A useful tool for digging deeper.
When a Black girl experiences racism at school, her parents remind her to stay proud of her brown skin.
The narrator associates colors with her feelings: Her hands are pink when she’s happy, there’s blue in her eyes when she’s sad, red blooms in her cheeks when she is angry. Brown in her heart is her proud color; it’s the color she sees when she looks at herself and what others see when they see her. On her first day of school, she finds she is the only kid with brown skin. She only hesitates for a moment before marching in with her pride intact. But when a White girl tells her she doesn’t like her skin color, the girl loses her pride. At home, she tells her parents and abuela, who are all Black as well, about it. They tell her to remember the important people of various ethnicities who have shared her brown skin: people in her life like her own abuela, as well as famous leaders like Kamala Harris and Frida Kahlo. The girl draws pictures of those changemakers and places herself among them, restoring her pride. The protagonist is an engaging character with an interesting perspective on feelings. While racist incidents are rarely so easily overcome, this book provides a helpful jumping-off point for exploring facts, thoughts, and feelings behind racial identity, awareness, and pride. The attractive illustrations are full of personality in vignettes that flesh out the story’s text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A useful tool for digging deeper. (note) (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-64170-578-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
Even if the worst thing this book prevents is an unwanted noogie, it is still doing a service.
Miles may be 6, but he’s in charge of his body anyway, isn’t he?
In this montage of simple, cartoony characters set against photographic backgrounds, readers are introduced to Miles, who is about to celebrate his sixth birthday with his family and desperately looks forward to his favorite: “double-meaty-pepperoni-sausage-pineapple-hold-the-onions-extra-cheesy birthday pizza!” But before the pizza man arrives, Grandpa has to give Miles’ cheek a pinch, and brother Scotty bestows a serious noogie, and Aunt Millie sends a suffocating hug (via Miles’ mom), and Dad lifts him off the floor (“ Dad, please put me down!”). Then a guy in a chicken suit arrives to tickle Miles. Miles blows his stack before retreating to his room for some time alone. Mom knocks. “Am I in trouble?” asks Miles. “No,” says his mom. “We’re here to tell you how proud we are of you.” Dad pipes in: “No one should ever touch you in ways you don’t want to be touched.” Though the story is ham-fisted to the point of being a pork shoulder with the bone in, and though neither the artwork nor the text will last, the point probably will sink in. As the endnote states, “Roughly 90% of the harm done to children is not by a stranger, but by someone they know.”
Even if the worst thing this book prevents is an unwanted noogie, it is still doing a service. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9894071-3-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: The Mother Company
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
An upbeat tale with a much-needed message: Imagination and positivity can save the day.
In this picture book from pop star Kevin Jonas and his wife, TV personality Danielle Jonas, a rainy day forces a child to find an alternate way to enjoy the beach.
Family beach day is one of Bella’s favorite things. She loves splashing in the waves, jumping from rock to rock, and building sand castles. Today, however, the weather isn’t cooperating, but Bella isn’t upset. “It will just have to stop raining. That’s all.” Disappointment sets in when her family tells her that beach day is off. Teary Bella rejects suggested indoor pastimes like board games, musical jam sessions, or reading stories together, and she retreats to her room. Dejected, Bella consoles herself with her stuffed bunny, Mr. Bonkers, until her parents and sister, Emma, knock on her door with a surprise: “BEDROOM BEACH DAY!” With just a few household items—a big lamp for the sun, a fan for the ocean breeze, a blue blanket for water, and pillows for rocks—and a large dose of imagination, Bella’s bedroom is transformed. A flexible attitude from all helps Bella—and readers—realize that things may not always go as planned…but sometimes they can be even better than we expected. Whimsical, cartoonish drawings and a dialogue-driven narrative turn a setback into an uplifting family experience. Bella and her family are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An upbeat tale with a much-needed message: Imagination and positivity can save the day. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9780593352106
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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