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LETTERS IN CHARCOAL

Name: LETTERS IN CHARCOAL
Author: Irene Vasco
ISBN: 9781915244512

by Irene Vasco ; illustrated by Juan Palomino ; translated by Lawrence Schimel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2023

A heartfelt tale that captures the transformative power of education.

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Almost nobody in Palenque, Colombia, knows how to read or write.

Gina, the young narrator’s older sister, has been receiving letters from a young doctor who spent time with them in the pueblo but has since moved on. The girls can only guess at the content of his letters and dream that they are professions of love. Motivated by curiosity, the younger sister begins to learn the alphabet from a kind local shopkeeper. She then, in turn, passes the newly acquired knowledge along to her sister, writing the letters of the alphabet on the ground in charcoal, and slowly they both begin to read. They learn that the young doctor, discouraged by the lack of response to his letters, plans to stop writing. The sting of this loss is tempered by the joy of their new education, and the narrator commits herself to a life of reading and helping others learn to read. Palomino’s warm, flat, textured illustrations depict a bustling Afro-Latine community. Based on stories told to the author by many Colombian women, this tenderly matter-of-fact tale, translated from Spanish, celebrates the freedom to read in an area where it was once forbidden by colonizers; an author’s note offers context about the descendants of enslaved Africans in the Americas. Vasco’s narrative reminds readers that even in the face of lost connections, the joy of reading can light the way to a brighter future. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartfelt tale that captures the transformative power of education. (Picture book. 5-9)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9781915244512

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Lantana

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE YOUNG TEACHER AND THE GREAT SERPENT
by Irene Vasco ; illustrated by Juan Palomino ; translated by Lawrence Schimel

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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MAYA'S BIG QUESTION

From the Ambitious Girl series , Vol. 3

by Meena Harris ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2026

Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model.

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The third title in the Ambitious Girl series finds young Maya wanting accomplished women to get their due.

On a school trip to Washington, D.C., brown-skinned, bubble-braided Maya is full of questions, among them “How many representatives are there?” and, while checking out the statues and monuments, “Where are all the women?” Maya’s teacher tells her that they’ve seen all the “popular” statues and monuments. Maya is as dogged (“But what about Eleanor Roosevelt? Or Mary McLeod Bethune?”) as her teacher is dismissive: “Those aren’t on my list.” (Maya’s teacher follows the same list every trip.) Back at home, Maya is newly awakened to the lack of female representation in her orbit—she notices that streets and “even her own school” are named for men. Is there anything she can do about this? Maya’s teacher’s cluelessness feels a bit implausible, more like a plot device to steer the story in the right direction, but Maya’s righteous indignation is believable, and her corresponding activism will energize readers. Valdez gets into the spirit of things with her invigorating digital art: Maya and her multiethnic classmates and neighbors are colorful dressers with smiling faces, which fosters a sense that wherever Maya goes, a warm and ebullient community is there for her.

Another empowering outing led by a dynamic young role model. (Picture book. 5-8)