By Monica Clark-Robinson Illustrated by Frank Morrison Reviewed by Mary Bishop This wonderful children’s story has me wondering, “where was this material when I was growing up?” Teaching the Civil Rights Movement by relaying the biographies of singular heroes has its merits, but showing how children, the brave and uncredited many, were a pivotal part […]
Tag: Community
Town Is by the Sea
Written by Joanne Schwartz Illustrated by Sydney Smith Reviewed by Lindsey Smith It’s hard to find good children’s books about working class people. Sí Se Puede by Diana Cohn and A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams come to mind of course, but they’re lonely exemplars in a sparse field. Town Is by the Sea […]
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners
Written by Joanna Ho Illustrated by Dung Ho Reviewed by Lindsey Smith Everyday diversity, the idea of showing different people living ordinary lives, is a crucial consideration for any library. But if we know anything about children, it’s that they notice every little difference. If your students don’t look like those in dominant culture, you […]
Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away
Written by Meg Medina Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez Reviewed by Mary Bishop In ‘Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away’, author and illustrator, Meg Medina and Sonia Sánchez, demonstrate how to beautifully translate childhood’s significant moments into story form. Daniela is our narrator and she tells the story of her last day with her “mejor amiga, […]
Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki
Our Little Kitchen Written & Illustrated by Jillian Tamaki Reviewed by Alisun This delightful picturebook tells the story of a community kitchen. While it is not plot driven, it documents an afternoon preparing a delicious meal for a diverse and inclusive group of neighbors. With vegetables harvested from the community garden, the team of cooks […]