Michelle H. Martin
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Review of A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart
A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliott; illus. by Noa Denmon Primary, Intermediate Farrar 32 pp. g 7/20 978-0-374-30741-7 $17.99 e-book ed. 978-0-374-38863-8 $9.99 In this powerfully lyrical poem, Elliott articulates what resides “deep down inside” of the African American, skateboard-loving, first-person protagonist:...
Review of All Because You Matter
All Because You Matter by Tami Charles; illus. by Bryan Collier Preschool, Primary Orchard/Scholastic 40 pp. g 10/20 978-1-338-57485-2 $17.99 e-book ed. 978-1-338-67474-3 $10.99 A richly illustrated affirmation for Black children — especially boys. An African American expectant mother and father eagerly await the arrival of their child, embracing him...
The Camping Trip
“People in cities don’t understand / falling in love with the land.” So goes a line from one of my favorite Girl Scout songs, “Moon on the Meadow.” Jennifer K. Mann’s picture book The Camping Trip takes protagonist and narrator Ernestine from being one of those “people in cities” to getting her first taste...
Review of The Camping Trip
The Camping Trip by Jennifer K. Mann; illus. by the author Primary Candlewick 56 pp. g 5/20 978-1-5362-0736-1 $17.99 City-dweller Ernestine has never been camping, but when Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha invite her, she gets her dad’s okay and starts preparing: new flashlight and sleeping bag, a homemade batch...
Five questions for Alice Faye Duncan
Alice Faye Duncan’s picture book Just like a Mama (Millner/Simon, 3–7 years), illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, explores the special bond between a young girl and her “right now” caretaker Mama Rose, who is “just like a mama to me.” The story was inspired by Duncan’s own family and is...
Review of Just like a Mama
Just like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan; illus. by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow Preschool, Primary Millner/Simon 32 pp. 1/20 978-1-5344-6183-3 $17.99 e-book ed. 978-1-5344-6184-0 $10.99 An homage to all the African American women who are mothering children not biologically their own. Carol Olivia Clementine lives with Mama Rose because “Mommy...
Review of Bedtime for Sweet Creatures
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes; illus. by Elizabeth Zunon Preschool Sourcebooks Jabberwocky 32 pp. g 1/20 978-1-4926-3832-2 $17.99 Grimes puts an animal-centric spin on a youngster’s innovations for bedtime stalling. This lushly illustrated story, on double-page spreads full of bold, saturated color, opens with an African American child’s...
Review of Astro Girl
Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max; illus. by the author Preschool, Primary Candlewick 32 pp. 9/19 978-1-5362-0946-4 $16.99 As young Astrid gazes out her bedroom window at the stars, using a hand-held telescope, we see visual evidence of her astronomy obsession all around: a helmet, model rocket ship, etc. The straightforward...
Black Kids Camp, Too...Don't They?: Embracing "Wildness" in Picture Books
My mother was a Girl Scout leader, my father was a Boy Scout leader, and my brother was a Tiger Cub in the Boy Scouts. Practically from the time I could walk, I tagged along with family to scout meetings and events. When I became a Girl Scout, and eventually...