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KEEP DREAMING, BLACK CHILD

Name: KEEP DREAMING, BLACK CHILD
Author: Nyasha Williams
ISBN: 9780762482818

by Nyasha Williams ; illustrated by Sawyer Cloud ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 5, 2023

Stirring words and images for budding activists and leaders.

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“Dreams carry whispers from your soul.”

This picture book encourages young readers to follow their dreams. Dreams are powerful, Williams notes. “They allow you, the dreamer, to see your celebrated role in the global community.” They “speak of our future” and “shape our life choices.” The images depict Black and brown children creating, doing, and, of course, dreaming. Windows and doors figure heavily in the visuals; one image shows a child walking along a path made up of giant books before walking through a door to another world—perhaps a reference to the work of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. Moons, stars, and planets steeped in lavenders, pinks, and blues make the book feel otherworldly. The poetic and ethereal writing is a call for young people to be antiracist, to make the impossible possible, and to employ patience and dedication to make their dreams come true. Though some of the wording may be a bit abstract for the target audience, the artwork will resonate, and the text will likely spark conversations between children and supportive adults. Books promoting kindness and empowerment to young people are always needed. Fans of Antiracist Baby (2020) by Ibram X. Kendi, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky, and Woke Baby (2018) by Mahogany L. Browne, illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, will enjoy this motivating book.

Stirring words and images for budding activists and leaders. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9780762482818

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Running Press Kids

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
I AM SOMEBODY
by Nyasha Williams ; illustrated by Ashley Evans

- BOOK REVIEW
I AFFIRM ME
by Nyasha Williams ; illustrated by Sóf'ya Glushkó

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)