Joy and hope walk alongside sadness and grief in this unforgettable work.
A multilayered tale of loss.
A Black boy opens an envelope from his recently deceased father and finds a treasure map marked with a red X. Disappointed his dad hasn’t left him a letter, the boy puts on his hiking boots and reluctantly enters the woods. As he walks along the Hudson, he sees animals and notices reminders of the Mohicans, the original inhabitants of this land. Entering the ruins of a house, he finds a metal box in the brick fireplace and opens it with a key that has mysteriously appeared in his pocket. Inside, he finds a treasure trove of drawings of the natural world and an invitation to honor his father’s artistic legacy. Grimes’ quiet yet potent verse captures not only the boy’s loss, but also the memories his father has left behind. In a moving author’s note, she discusses her decadeslong friendship with Jerry Pinkney, who completed sketches for the book before he died in 2021; in an illustrator’s note, Brian Pinkney describes how he completed the artwork and explains that this story mirrors his own experience of grappling with his father’s death. Brian’s stunning, opalescent watercolors closely resemble Jerry’s but include the circular patterns and movement characteristic of his own illustrations. Together, Grimes and the Pinkneys have produced a profoundly stirring and thought-provoking musing on how the ones we love never really leave us. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Joy and hope walk alongside sadness and grief in this unforgettable work. (Picture book. 4-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780823449651
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)
Bewitched by the rhythms of jazz all around her in Depression-era Kansas City, little Melba Doretta Liston longs to make music in this fictional account of a little-known jazz great.
Picking up the trombone at 7, the little girl teaches herself to play with the support of her Grandpa John and Momma Lucille, performing on the radio at 8 and touring as a pro at just 17. Both text and illustrations make it clear that it’s not all easy for Melba; “The Best Service for WHITES ONLY” reads a sign in a hotel window as the narrative describes a bigotry-plagued tour in the South with Billie Holiday. But joy carries the day, and the story ends on a high note, with Melba “dazzling audiences and making headlines” around the world. Russell-Brown’s debut text has an innate musicality, mixing judicious use of onomatopoeia with often sonorous prose. Morrison’s sinuous, exaggerated lines are the perfect match for Melba’s story; she puts her entire body into her playing, the exaggerated arch of her back and thrust of her shoulders mirroring the curves of her instrument. In one thrilling spread, the evening gown–clad instrumentalist stands over the male musicians, her slide crossing the gutter while the back bow disappears off the page to the left. An impressive discography complements a two-page afterword and a thorough bibliography.
Readers will agree that “Melba Doretta Liston was something special.” (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-60060-898-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
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