A powerful narrative about Black yesterdays that have built the foundation for all our tomorrows.
The creators of All Because You Matter (2020) collaborate once more, assuring children of the Black diaspora of their rich cultural heritage.
Charles’ moving free-verse text, addressed to a brown-skinned child wearing a colorful headband, their hair in two puffballs, argues that though so many contributions of Black people have gone unacknowledged, “we have always been heroes.” When it is “your turn / to rule the world, / people will be amazed / and they will question / the power of you.” But, Charles stresses, they should neither marvel nor doubt, because Black people have always been here and have always been amazing. In an illustrator’s note, Collier mentions that the row houses throughout echo those that Georgia artist John Biggers painted of his childhood home. Row houses grace the endpapers and serve as the backdrop for many scenes showcasing Black people’s contributions to music, activism, fashion, politics, food, astronomy, and more, not just throughout American history, but world history as well. Many of the people Collier illustrates are recognizably famous, like Martin Luther King Jr., after whom more than 1,000 streets have been named, and others ought to be, like Chicago blues musician Howlin’ Wolf. Collier’s signature painterly collage and watercolor images abound in color, texture, and patterning that beautifully reflect Black diversity. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A powerful narrative about Black yesterdays that have built the foundation for all our tomorrows. (biographical notes, glossary, author’s notes) (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-338-75204-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The story’s slight but allows kids to practice identifying and dealing with their own big feelings.
Penfold and Kaufman team up again to show children how to navigate overwhelming feelings.
The diverse group of kids from All Are Welcome (2018) this time gathers in a vacant lot with tools in hand to clear the debris and make something new. But therein lies the rub: What should the something new be? While the exact nature of the disagreement is unfortunately not made clear to readers, the big feelings that the children exhibit are very clear (and for readers who need practice reading facial clues, there’s a labeled chart of 15 in the frontmatter). This book’s refrain is “How can I help? / What can we do?” And the answers, spread over several pages and not spelled out in so many words but rather shown in the illustrations, are: talk it through, compromise, and see things from another perspective. As a guide for dealing with feelings and problem-solving, the book is a bit slim and lacks a solid story to hook readers. But, as with its predecessor, its strength is again the diversity on display in its pages. There’s a rainbow of skin tones and hair colors as well as abundant variation in hair texture, several children exhibit visible disabilities, including one child who uses a wheelchair, and there are markers of religious and cultural diversity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 29.6% of actual size.)
The story’s slight but allows kids to practice identifying and dealing with their own big feelings. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-525-57974-8
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
