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MISTACO

A deliciously effervescent celebration of family and resilience.

After enduring a humiliating incident, Izzy just wants to be left alone.

Izzy’s “the PRESIDENT of mistakes.” She dribbles queso on her homework, steps in dog poo, and knocks her sibling’s toothbrush into the toilet. After making an especially embarrassing gaffe at school one day, Izzy’s in no mood for a family get-together, but it’s tortilla night! Izzy and her Abuelito (Lito) start rolling dough in the kitchen, but frustrated Izzy keeps messing up. Lito eats her ill-shapen tortillas and lends a sympathetic ear as she reveals what happened earlier. Lito rolls a fresh tortilla and encourages Izzy to “fill” it by retelling her story. Together, they create a mistake taco, or “mistaco,” as Izzy dubs it, and munch on the results. The exercise in openness proves to be tasty, and other family members share past blunders and craft their own mistacos. With her authorial debut, Pura Belpré Honor–winning illustrator Kinkz conveys a message all kids need to hear: Everyone makes mistakes, and owning them can bring relief and even joy. Her signature, scribbly cartoons brim with chaos, capturing the energy of a boisterous, tightknit Latine family. In Izzy, Kinkz has created a fully realized youngster who’s equal parts goofy exuberance and vulnerable insecurity. Izzy’s family members vary in skin tone and speak a mix of Spanish and English; an author’s note offers insight into this blend of languages, known as Spanglish.

A deliciously effervescent celebration of family and resilience. (suggestions for making mistacos) (Picture book. 6-9)

Pub Date: April 1, 2025

ISBN: 9780593700235

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Kokila

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

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

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J.D. AND THE FAMILY BUSINESS

From the J.D. the Kid Barber series , Vol. 2

A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D.

Breakout kid barber J.D. embraces a summer of opportunity.

Readers met J.D. Jones just as he took his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, by storm, winning himself community acclaim and a chair at the revered Hart and Sons barbershop in series opener J.D. and the Great Barber Battle(2021). What’s next for the haircut prodigy? School’s just getting out, and there’s so much life happening outside—if only one can escape home learning with the grandparents. J.D.’s sister, Vanessa, brings along multitalented mutual friend Jessyka to share an ambitious challenge: “Let’s start a YouTube channel!” Can they get millions of views and wow the whole world? They are already amazing at haircuts and hairstyles—all they need is to learn how to make a great YouTube video. The story models strategies for scripting short videos reflecting the templates of viral YouTube hair tutorials, inviting readers to not only see the journey of the characters, but maybe also practice these skills at home. This book is bound to educate all about some of the most storied and cherished traditions within the Black community. Bringing in Vanessa is a great touch to extend the series across gender, and hopefully she’ll get a chance to lead her own adventures. This book blends skill-building, entrepreneurship, and strong family values to give young Black children visions of what’s possible when they follow their passions and embrace their community.

A strong second outing for Dillard and J.D. (Fiction. 6-9)

Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-11155-0

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Kokila

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021

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