by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido Illustrated by Melissa Sweet 3 stars A wonderful exploration of the creative process by finding inspiration around you, questioning the world, and uncovering the words within you. The artwork is so dynamic and fun. Engaging collages featuring circular and natural imagery that pair wonderfully with the text. A breathtaking…
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3 stars A sweet picture book dedicated to the versatility of kimchi. Follow the character through each day of the week as she enjoys a different dish featuring kimchi. Told in simple and catchy rhymes, this is a soothing and fun read. The art style is so cute. Kim used cut paper on hanji to…
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Illustrated by Erica Salcedo 5 stars A hilarious and educational book. Follow the main character as she tries to escape the fungi in her life only to discover that it is everywhere. Told in rhythmic, rhyming text, the book goes through various types of fungi, from mushrooms to lichen to mold to yeast. Also discusses…
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Illustrated by J Yang 4 stars Such a sweet story. What Noah wants more than anything is long hair. But he isn’t sure if he can ask for it. Most of the boys and men in his life have short hair. Will he get the courage to ask to grow out his hair in time…
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Illustrated by Steph Littlebird 5 stars A beautiful celebration of hair. The illustrations are fantastic. Absolutely beautiful use of color and imagery. The story wonderfully depicts the connection between hair, memories, nature, history, and community. Also deals with loss of a loved one and healing from generational trauma. At the back of the book is…
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by Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Frank Morrison 4 stars A remarkable exploration of history as told through the modernized lyrics of the popular spiritual, “Standing in the Need of Prayer”. The book works in various events throughout history from the American slave trade to Emancipation to the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives…
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by Aya Khalil Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh 4 stars A delightfully sweet story filled with love, tradition, ingenuity, and genericity. Zain is excited to share his family’s ka’ak with his classmates. Together with his mother and grandmother, he prepares the treats, learning about their history and adding his own spin to tradition. The illustrations are…
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Art by Dare Coulter 5 stars Masterful. This book is hard-hitting, beautiful, powerful, hopeful, unabashed, and well-told. It acknowledges that the histories and realities of the past can be hard to face and difficult to discuss. But encourages us all to keep fighting for a better future. A story of hope and hardship, of remembering…
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Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa 3 stars I enjoyed this one more than the first book. As with the first one, Figueroa’s illustrations are fantastic. It was really fun to see all of Oona’s inventions and I loved all of the unique details included. In this one, Oona attempts to befriend a quiet shark. Nice way…
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Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa 2 stars This one is a bit hard to rate. The illustrations are perfect. Absolutely beautiful. I loved all the details, seeing Oona’s creative thinking, and the way Figueroa brought her world to life. Always wonderful to see a Black mermaid as well. The story for me was really confusing. It…
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