A PICTURE DAY TO REMEMBER

Some children dread picture day.

Lola wears her big, floppy red hat every day. It’s so large that it covers her entire face, which is exactly what Lola wants. Her teacher warns her not to bump into anything, but her hat is a necessary shield against embarrassment. But today, Lola realizes that she’s made a mistake and come to school on picture day (something she’s avoided since kindergarten). When the class sets up for their group photo, Lola accidentally ends up right in the middle, and her hat blocks her classmates’ faces. When she moves to the back corner, the photographer still asks to see her face. She finally throws it off to reveal what she’s been trying to hides this entire time—freckles covering her face. The class is silent until a friendly boy, Nassim, shares an idea. When the class gets their photo a few weeks later, they see the memorable results. Text-heavy pages feel overdone with figurative comparisons. The illustrations are simple enough, with what looks like paint washes and pencil markings. Boelens often chooses a very wide lens, and the excessive distance separates readers from the character physically as well as emotionally. An Asian-presenting teacher leads the diverse class, which includes light-skinned Lola and tan-skinned Nassim. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Emotionally unsuccessful.