DADDY AND ME AND THE RHYME TO BE

A father and daughter find that the best way to write a song is together.

Karma already knows she’s bound to be a musical superstar, but she’ll acknowledge that there is maybe someone out there who can share her spotlight—her daddy. A musician and producer, Karma’s dad can make music out of everything they do together, from riding bikes to playing pretend. But for Daddy’s birthday, Karma wants to write a song on her own to give him as a gift. The only problem is, they’re used to riffing off each other, and Karma’s not accustomed to rhyming on her own. “He makes me feel safe from when I sleep to when I wake” is a nice enough sentiment, until she finds herself left with “and at night he tucks me in under a giant pancake!” What’s a co-writer to do without her other half? Based on characters from the Netflix series Karma’s World, this original story from Person (head writer of the show) and Bridges (better known as rapper Ludacris) delightfully captures the frustration and occasional absurdity that can come out of brainstorming sessions. Though the beginning and end of the story are a little on the saccharine side, Act 2 is where the magic is. Gordon’s colorful, cartoon-style illustrations are accentuated by big, bold, onomatopoeic words describing instrumentation and beatboxing. Karma and her family are Black. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Cheerful and charming.