Stylish, chic, and strong. Brava!
A good parent shows up—and stands up.
Jeanne Manford was an excellent mother. When her son Morty told her that he was gay, she accepted him. When Morty was later attacked while protesting discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, Jeanne took action: She started by writing a letter that was published in the New York Post that declared that she loved her gay son, a groundbreaking move in the 1970s. Jeanne was also a founding member of PFLAG, which began in 1972 as POG, or Parents of Gays, before becoming Parents FLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). In 2014 the group changed its name to just PFLAG to be more inclusive. In rousing prose, Sanders describes how Jeanne helped motivate other loving parents to create a support network of allies who have diligently worked to help defend equal rights for queer individuals. This is a valuable tool for research projects, with backmatter that includes information on Jeanne’s son Morty Manford, PFLAG’s history, a robust list of sources, and an up-to-date selection of other titles about queer history. Jeanne presents as White; racially diverse individuals are represented in the illustrations. The artwork has a timeless feel, though with a hat tip to the earthy tones of the 1970s. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Stylish, chic, and strong. Brava! (discussion guide, glossary, image of a protest poster created by Jeanne) (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4338-4020-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom.
A Black girl’s simple observation propels her into activism.
Woodard, who launched the More Than Peach Project—which arranges for classrooms and children in need to receive kits that include art supplies and boxes of multicultural crayons (crayons in a variety of skin tones)—relates the incident that sparked her journey. As the book begins, she is dropped off at school and notices that her family’s skin tone differs from that of her classmates. While it is clear that she is one of a few children of color at school, that difference isn’t really felt until her friends start asking for the “skin-color” crayon when they mean peach. She’s bothered that no one else seems to notice that skin comes in many colors, so she devises a unique way of bringing everyone’s attention to that fact. With support from her family and her school, she encourages her fellow classmates to rethink their language and starts an initiative to ensure that everyone’s skin tone is represented in each crayon box. Appealing, realistic artwork depicts Woodard’s experiences, while endpapers feature More Than Peach crayon boxes and childlike illustrations of kids of different ethnicities doing various activities. The story is stirring and will motivate budding activists. (This book was reviewed digitally; the review has been updated for factual accuracy.)
An inspirational look at one girl’s quest to make sure that all skin tones are visible and available in the classroom. (note from Woodard, information on Woodard’s journey into activism, instructions on starting a drive) (Picture-book biography. 6-10)Pub Date: July 26, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-80927-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
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