4 stars A fantastically crafted story. Najeeba has heard the Call and knows it is time to travel the Salt Roads. But only men and boys are supposed to experience the Call. Follow Najeeba on her unprecedented journey beyond her home to travel the Salt Roads with her father and brothers, change her family’s prospects,…
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by Chris Singleton and Ryan G. Van Cleave Illustrated by Adriana Pérez Perales 4 stars Such a cool series! Explore the life of Mae Jemison from childhood through years of education, research, and humanitarian efforts to her career as an astronaut and her work after space. Well-written and filled with interesting facts. Wonderful black-and-white illustrations…
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Illustrated by Ebony Glenn 3 stars A cute, rhyming picture book following a young ballerina’s first recital. Gorgeous illustrations with lovely movement. I love that the dancers include both girls and boys with different skin tones and hair textures. At the back there is a glossary of the terms used in the book including different…
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by Jay Jay Patton with Kiara Valdez Illustrated by Markia Jenai 2.5 stars I was really excited to read this one, but it left me feeling a bit disappointed. A quick read that shares some important events in Patton’s childhood including her father getting out prison, moving to Florida, starting a new school, learning to…
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Illustrated by London Ladd 5 stars Stunning! A fantastic ode to hair and heritage. Through poetic text, the narrator connects hair to history, telling tales of iconic figures, sports, dance, and afternoons spent in the kitchen together. It connects family, culture, strength, and love. Beautifully written. I especially enjoyed all the creative wordplay. The artwork…
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Text by Terrance Crawford Illustrated by Ronaldo Barata 2 stars Nice to get a longer adventure about the Afro Unicorns. This one focuses on Unique and Divine as they make their way to the Festival of Crowns. Along the way, they learn one of the crowns has gone missing. The story itself was okay. A…
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Illustrated by Anthony Conley 3 stars A sweet introduction to the Afro Unicorns and their magical world. Fun characters, high energy, and nice reminders of how unique, divine, and magical the reader is. The illustrations are adorable. A nice little read. I really enjoy the Afro Unicorn characters. Goodreads
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by Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge 5 stars A biography in verse using found poetry from Olaudah Equiano’s own autobiography. I absolutely adored this format. Fantastically constructed. The found verse format was done in a way that made the text and narrative more accessible to a modern reader without losing the original intent. Throughout the…
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Illustrated by Brianna McCarthy 4 stars A truly fantastical story of an expectant mother imagining the place where her unborn child waits and dreaming of their adventures together. The artwork is stunning. Beautiful colors and imaginative scenes. They pair perfectly with the otherworldly images of the lyrical text. While the themes of the story will…
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Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita 4 stars Another fantastic book from Doyon and Juanita. An absolutely gorgeous story that celebrates the value of different ways of thinking, neurodiversity, and challenging the status quo. This lyrical story follows a mother and child as they communicate and interact with each other throughout the day, spending time together and…
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