Grandmother Picture Books

(2) K-3 Illustrated by C. G. Esperanza. A dinner to remember! An unnamed African American boy describes a Sunday dinner at Granny's with extended family. Granny decides that it's time for her grandson to learn to cook macaroni and cheese; mixed greens (collard, turnip, and mustard); and grilled chicken, ribs, and sausage. As he prepares to grate three kinds of cheese, wash and tear greens, and prepare meat for the grill, Granny models each task, asking: "Did you see that, baby?" Doing his best, he says: "My hand hurt. My arm aches. But I don't quit." After the completion of each task comes Granny's affirmation: "That's the best grated cheese [or greens, or meats] I've seen in all my life." While Bingham's writing captures the sound and cadence of this African American family's speech, Esperanza's oil paintings effectively portray the lively characters' perpetual motion and reveal each person's style, from Granny's maroon cornrows and colorful apron displaying an African mask, to the protagonist's blond-tipped high-top twists with lightning bolts shaved into the sides of his hair, to the barbecue master's dreadlocks and flip sunglasses. In the end, the young cook adds one more tasty delight to the meal and radiates pride as the family sits down to dinner. A gustatory and olfactory family feast that will evoke strong memories for some and make others wish they had them.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Julia Kuo. The protagonist of this emotion-filled story is a little girl in Taiwan who loves her popo, or grandmother. She dreams with Popo, walks with her in the park, and bows to her on New Year's Day--until one day the girl and her parents move to San Diego. She can then only dream of Popo, talk with her from across the sea, and pray for her recovery from an illness. Upon returning to Taiwan for a visit, the girl is dismayed that her language skills have slipped ("Now 'ni hao' is what feels strange in my mouth"), yet the bond between granddaughter and grandmother remains as strong as ever. Kuo's digital illustrations, of a rosy-cheeked girl and active grandma, complement Blackburne's text by showing details that accurately and authentically depict Taiwan and its culture. Iconic buildings (Taipei 101, the Grand Hotel), Chinese New Year traditions, street signs, and cityscapes are only some of the abundant details that invite readers to look closely at the images. In a few spreads, the gutter is cleverly used to delineate the characters' two very different worlds. Blackburne's nuanced narrative and Kuo's eye-catchingly hued illustrations bring readers on a heartwarming journey, providing an opportunity to explore and discuss the themes of identity, roots, connection, and emigration. Appended author and illustrator's notes and a glossary provide more detail.

Reviewer: Weileen Wang | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) PS Grandma Mimi's large patchwork purse always contains treasures: lipstick, perfume, earrings, hairpins, candy, etc. The unnamed narrator claims that everything in the purse is "how Mimi gets to be Mimi," and once the girl uses each item, she declares, "I can be Mimi, too!" The highly textured images in this heartfelt homage depict the daily-ness of African American girlhood with a grandma who brings the magic.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Woodrow White. Eggers, with input from students in a San Francisco Young Editors Project, captures an unusual visit from a child's grandmother in this imaginative adventure. The story is told from the point of view of the child, who has met his grandmother only once before. Dressed in a jacket that looks a lot like a jaguar's fur, the glam grandma gets on all fours and commands: "Let's be jaguars." The two venture outside and then, as we see in a double gatefold spread, into the woods. They explore outdoors with abandon, running across a lake, crossing a mountain, traversing the Himalayas, and more. Grandmother, as both human and jaguar, is a powerful and somewhat intimidating presence: at one point, as a jaguar, she eats a raw rabbit. Eggers spins phrases with an evocative beauty. They traverse the water "nimbly...like marbles on glass." Grandmother "laughed like great thunder and I laughed like lesser thunder." In his picture-book debut, painter White animates the pair's adventure in expansive, richly colored scenes that depict the murky, purple-hued shadows of the night, effectively establishing the book's mysterious, majestic tone. It all ends on a cryptic note: could his grandmother really be a jaguar? Either way, the peculiar journey is worth taking.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 "As it turned out, Grandmother was a far more mysterious woman than any of us knew," begins this enigmatic and enjoyable picture book by Erdrich (The Birchbark House, rev. 5/99, and sequels), first published in 1996. With a page-turn, the grandmother is now shown in a motion-filled, sea-set spread, sailing away on the back of a porpoise. A year passes without Grandmother, and while the family members are going through her things, they find her birds' nest collection. In one lies three eggs; the birds hatch and are identified as passenger pigeons--an extinct species. This leads to many question--where did the creatures come from? where should they go?--but Grandmother's grandchildren know what to do. Realistic-looking illustrations ground the story in naturalism, while inventive--and unexplained--details allow the inquisitive young people, with their ever-changing facial expressions, to honor their grandmother's wishes.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) PS A child and her abuela are walking in the snow when they discover an injured bird. They bring the bird home, and Abuela nurses it back to health. The bird has a cage, but Abuela lets it fly through the apartment as it recovers, to the child's (and the reader's) delight. When the creature is healed, Abuela sends it off to fly free, and it disappears into the clouds above the city. In the spring, the bird returns; the child wants to keep it, but Abuela says it should remain free but is welcome to visit whenever it wants. Spare, simple, first-person text, narrated from the child's point of view, leaves room for the sweet, collage-like illustrations to pull readers' attention into the story and hold them in this magical space. The illustrations exude the warmth and coziness of a dear relationship between a young child and loving caregiver, and this cherished relationship is enhanced by the new friend they make together. A combination of neutral and bright colors in the art creates eye-catching layers, while the straight lines of rooms and buildings balance the rounded shapes of the characters. The small yellow bird brightens up their apartment in the city, and Abuela's gentle lessons through her actions and words are easily inferred. Published concurrently in Spanish as Un pájaro en casa.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) PS Yumi and her grandmother impulsively set out to see the other, but they keep passing each other as they travel in opposite directions. At last they meet in the middle and happily picnic together under a tree. Warm colors draw viewers into all the action and situational humor, while the brief but effective text's repetition makes this sweet picture book work for both young listeners and newly independent readers.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(2) K-3 Goodale (Windows, rev. 11/17; Under the Lilacs, rev. 7/20) presents a gentle rumination on space and time, memory, and the enduring love of family. "Today, I am at my gramma's house, high on the hill, amongst the blueberry bushes," begins the adolescent narrator, her gaze open-heartedly trained on readers from a sun-dappled spread. "And also..." Now, with a page-turn, and in a muted purply palette, she's shown as a younger child: "...I am remembering camping with Mama," with a small adventure in the woods. The story continues, shifting to the grandmother: "Today, my gramma is at the kitchen, watching me from the window. And also... / ...she is remembering being a little girl in her mother's garden." The girl's mother's recollections (and those of the grandmother's cat) follow, before returning to the narrator. Now, as an adult, she's writing this very book while recalling--and re-illustrating, with subtle differences--her time at her grandmother's. The book concludes: "We are all here...and also there. / Always." It's a heady observation made somewhat more concrete and accessible by ­Goodale's finely attuned sense of childlike wonder and the illustrations' (made from monoprint, gouache, and blueberry ink) thoughtful compositions. A red bird on every spread helps situate viewers in place and time, past and present.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. We don't know why Lily is going to live with her grandmother in rural Iowa, but we join her as she begins the long car ride there, roof and backseat piled high with suitcases and boxes. Lily has emotional scars that manifest in a forlorn expression, bellyaches, and "hollow places" inside her. Gram drives through the night and into the next day (seemingly unfazed), and charges Lily to "find ten beautiful things along the way." Initially, Lily replies, "There's nothing beautiful here," but then she and Gram begin to identify things: a sunrise, a windmill farm, a red-winged blackbird, as well as the smell of mud and a "falling-apart barn." Richly colored mixed-media illustrations offer views from multiple vantage points: we see the view from inside the car; the car from high above; Lily in Gram's rear-view mirror. This simultaneously heartbreaking and reassuring book acknowledges the realities of grief ("None of this was easy"), the slow process of healing ("Maybe it would never be easy"), and hope ("She belonged with Gram now. She belonged here now").

Reviewer: Julie Hakim Azzam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(1) PS Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. A pigtailed child visits her grandparents at the shore, where the waves call them to explore the sands just outside the steps of their small seaside house. Amid the colorful detritus left behind by the waves, the girl and her grandmother search for shells of every kind. "Grandma reminds me that the shells are little houses. And that gets me thinking," the child says, as she begins to wonder about the inhabitants of these tiny homes. Her mind wanders further out into the deep, where one could find "fish as big as cars...lost toys, lost coins, lots of lost things that were cried over." The girl's grandfather, too, looks in awe at the water and his grandchild, noting that she just may "know it all" someday. A collection of shells, though, is enough to satisfy the child until that someday arrives. Dronzek's recognizably bold-hued, naturalistic acrylic illustrations maintain the windswept qualities of a visit to the beach, infusing the quiet and meditative narrative with movement. Thoughtful page design alternates between spot art, images within a borderless ellipse-shaped frame, and full-bleed double-page spreads, uniting the child reader and the child narrator on their journeys to consider both the small and the vast. Henkes and Dronzek's latest pitch-perfect collaboration (Summer Song, rev. 3/21) offers an intimate multigenerational narrative that captures children's hopeful curiosity about our shared home.

Reviewer: Grace McKinney | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) PS Lili's Nai Nai is out of cabbage for the baos she is making and sends her granddaughter off to see if Babcia, up on the sixth floor of her apartment building, has any. Yes, Babcia does, but she is out of potatoes for her pierogi and sends Lili to ask Granma down on the second floor. Granma has potatoes but needs garlic for her Jamaican beef patties. So off Lili goes to Abuela on the fourth floor for garlic. The pattern continues with Nonna (making ravioli) and Teta (making Lebanese fatayer). Lili finally returns to Nai Nai, tells her of her adventures, and helps finish the baos by lining the steamer basket with the (finally) procured cabbage leaves. When all the grandmothers arrive for an outdoor party, they are each carrying their various dumpling treasures. But where have Lili's mama and papa been all this time? Surprise! They come home with her new baby brother, "another little dumpling treasure!" Iwai employs a bright palette and effectively plays with perspective (as in Lili's dizzying glance down the building's stairwell). Especially entertaining are the scenes of Lili making baos with Nai Nai and the chart of Lili's journey, like a game board showing all the moves she has made. In their generosity and joy of cooking, Nai Nai and her friends are kindred spirits to the title character in Oge Mora's Thank You, Omu! (rev. 11/18). A detailed recipe for making baos is appended.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lindsey Yankey. The narrator recalls her childhood growing up in Iran. The child accompanies her grandma on her daily routines, including spending time with friends; as Grandma and her best friend laugh, drink coffee, and knit blankets for their mosque and church, respectively, the children (and readers) witness a beautiful interfaith friendship. Yankey's muted illustrations work well to convey cherished memories and love, with thoughtful cultural details incorporated throughout.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tonya Engel. Zoe loves baking cinnamon-swirl bread with her grandmother. As Grandma kneads the dough with a "push and pull," she recalls how her own mother taught her to make bread. When Zoe tries kneading, however, the dough bunches up and sticks to her hands; Zoe wonders "if they will ever move" like her grandmother's. Standing behind her, Grandma places her hands on top of Zoe's and guides the kneading "until it's just right." Engel's (Your Legacy, rev. 1/22) highly textured illustrations, with deep, rich colors, capture the closeness of the intergenerational bond described by Lyons (Dream Builder, rev. 3/20). While the dough rises, grandmother and granddaughter "sit and talk. [Grandma's] hands tell a story if you listen." The following double-page spread shows Grandma's lined palms and fingers up-close, labeled with different identities, including "teacher," "planter," and, most prominently, "mother." As Grandma talks about her own life, Zoe wonders where her own hands will go and what stories they will tell. Baking and reminiscing with Grandma help Zoe see the power and potential she holds in her own hands. A fine companion to Bingham's Soul Food Sunday (rev. 11/21), this story spreads joy like a dusting of flour on a freshly baked loaf.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. A young girl visiting her grandmother in Japan narrates this not-so-traditional bath-time book about a very traditional and ancient Japanese custom. The narrator and her beloved baachan, along with a gaggle of aunties, take a walk to the neighborhood bath house, where they meet up with some smiling young cousins. After removing shoes and clothes, they sit on low stools by water faucets, scrub themselves clean with soap, and rinse off before gently easing themselves into the steaming hot bath with a communal "Ahhhhh." The narrator guides readers through the potentially unfamiliar rituals by clearly describing what will happen; the future tense ("The wooden sandals will be lined up and waiting") also reads like a comforting reminder of what will take place the next time she gets to visit her grandmother. The text mirrors the mood--quick rhymes describe the excitement of arriving and the fun of soaping up, then longer sentences slow down and quiet as the group walks home in the dark. Zhang's buoyant illustrations in ink, gouache, and watercolors match the water-focused story with transparent, watery hues anchored by strong black outlining. Young audiences will giggle at all the naked bodies in the book, while adults will appreciate the body-positive descriptions: "You'll all dip your bodies, / your newly sprouting, / gangly bodies, / your saggy, shapely, / jiggly bodies, / your cozy, creased, / ancient bodies. / Beautiful bodies." In an appended note, Canadian author Maclear (It Began with a Page, rev. 11/19) describes the childhood summers she spent in Japan, she and her grandmother sharing not a common language but "rituals, a sweet tooth, and a love of bathing."

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shonto Begay. In this illuminating story about a contemporary child's experience with water insecurity, set in the Navajo Nation, Cody wakes up thirsty, and the three big blue water barrels outside his house are all empty. How will his family keep the animals safe on this hot day, or wash the dishes, or refill their water glasses? But his grandmother knows something Cody doesn't--the Water Lady is on her way. In a parallel narrative, Darlene Arviso is shown getting her own grandchildren ready for school, finishing her morning job as a school bus driver, getting into her yellow water truck, and driving up to Cody's house, where she is greeted warmly--and where, as one of the ten stops she will make that day, she refills the blue water barrels. The watercolor illustrations by Dineh' (Navajo) artist Begay use texture and color to highlight the dry desert landscape, and endpapers show the yellows of the dust and the blues of landscape and water mixing together. A brief glossary is included, and an author's note gives additional information about both Arviso and the Navajo Nation, emphasizing Arviso as an important community figure. A final note by Arviso herself expresses hope that her services will no longer be needed someday and that younger generations will listen to stories of Navajo history and tradition.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa. Dovey Johnson Roundtree (1914–2018) would grow up to be a civil rights warrior; this picture-book biography focuses on a pivotal moment in her childhood. One pre-dawn summer morning in North Carolina, her grandmother takes her blackberry picking, joined quietly by other women from their community. Intimidated by the dark, Dovey gains courage from Grandma Rachel, who tells her she need not fear it. "If you wait a little, your eyes will learn to see, and you can find your way." Awash in blues and purples and then pinks, reds, and golds as the sun rises, Figueroa's stunning illustrations, many of which depict a view from above the woodland scenes, illuminate the landscape, the diligent work of the women, and the lessons Dovey learns from her loving grandmother, which feed her tenacity and determination as an adult. Several pages of back matter, which include family photographs, detail the remarkable life of this unsung hero, who graduated from Spelman College, served in the Women's Army Corps, earned a degree from Howard ­University Law School, and fought diligently for civil rights throughout her long career and life. An author's note by McCabe explains that the book was "adapted from the final chapter of the autobiography Dovey and I wrote together." Inspiring and exquisitely illustrated, this well-researched true story will spark conversations that prompt young readers to learn more about Roundtree.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by André Ceolin. After moving to a "new home" in the southeastern United States, Rocio finds herself missing her "other home" in Central America, where she'd lived with her grandmother, aunt, and cousins. She visits there in her imagination, recalling everything from the "smell of spicy peppers and burnt sugar" to the "soft rustling of piñatas that hung from the ceiling" of her abuela's small grocery store. In her picture-book debut, Sanchez (We Are Not from Here, rev. 9/20) evokes, with rich sensory detail, Rocio's memories of lovingly prepared food (Abuela's warm tortillas smell "sweet and fresh, like the damp earth after a soft rain"), and Ceolin's (Hanukkah Hamster, rev. 11/18) illustrations feature abundant star motifs and geometric patterns inspired by the traditional textiles Abuela wears. But it's Abuela herself that Rocio misses most of all. Her longing for her beloved grandmother is palpable, as is her delight when a package, covered in stamps, arrives on the morning of her birthday. It's not spoiling the surprise to say that it was sent by her abuela, "con mucho amor." While the contents of the package are satisfying, Rocio's emotional connection to Abuela--one that spans the star-­sprinkled sky--remains central to this story. Happily, Rocio finds a way to send lots of love back home to Abuela, too. Concurrently published in Spanish as Con mucho amor.

Reviewer: Anamaría Anderson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) K-3 Design by Molly Leach. This tenderhearted adventure follows young Rabbit through a series of fanciful encounters in search of the "perfect gift" for his grandmother. Rabbit is unsure of what to get Nana until a crow shares the location of a just-right present. As Rabbit embarks upon his journey, he gets gift suggestions from the moon, a multi-eyed forest creature, and a "big big fish," all of which Rabbit politely dismisses. Tension builds when Rabbit provokes a moody volcano and sneezes into a spooky cave, experiences that only reinforce the youngster's affection for his grandmother ("Nana would probably say a comforting something or other about now"). The quest ends at the top of a steep peak capped with a single carrot; Rabbit undermines his own success, however, when he stops on the way back for a nibble of the very present he'd worked so hard to find. The half-eaten carrot still proves to be the perfect gift for Nana "because it came from him." Themes of familial love, appreciation, and gratitude resist saccharine cliché thanks in large part to Smith's subversive sense of humor and offbeat writing. The mixed-media illustrations are textured and atmospheric, with rich, cool greens, browns, and blues--visually punctuated by a spectacular double-page spread of an erupting volcano in vibrant magenta and yellow. A wide horizontal trim size emphasizes the length of Rabbit's journey, while Leach's distinctive book design shines through thoughtful text layouts that lead readers effortlessly across the pages.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Louis tells his grandma that he wants a dog. When she replies that there are already enough dogs in the neighborhood, Louis goes door to door to get a record of how many. As a result, he doesn't get just a tally of the dogs; he also gets to know his neighbors--Mr. Pierce, whose dog Harvey "will always live in my heart"; a blind woman with a guide dog; and many more (including a surprise appearance by Sadie from Stead and Cordell's Special Delivery, rev. 3/15). Meanwhile, in a subplot told only in the pictures, civic-minded Grandma rolls up her sleeves and establishes a dog park in a previously neglected part of town, City Hall clearly having given her an unsatisfactory response to the letter we saw her typing. As she tells Louis, "Sometimes if you want something done you've just got to do it yourself." Cordell brings to the page a vivid cast of characters as Louis canvasses the neighborhood. His shaggy, loose-lined illustrations in warm pastels are detailed and filled with humor. (The man who owns a dog named E. B. looks a lot like the Charlotte's Web author.) Stead creates an indelible character in Grandma, who is fierce, determined, and kind, and he leaves plenty of room in his lively text for Cordell to add layer upon layer to this already nuanced tale--one that ends sweetly, in more ways than one.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) K-3 This Swedish import, extensive in scope, explores the meaning of rivers by taking a multifaceted and impressionistic look at their function and symbolism across the world and throughout history. The narrative is framed by a fictional child and grandmother at a river (the two function as the book's visual through line) and provides lyrical commentary and factual information on each spread. The inquisitive, contemplative child asks Grandma what a river is, and the response is layered. She explains the nature of rivers in ways geographical and topographical, ecological, linguistic, sociological, historical, industrial, personal, and more. Sprawling spreads feature delicate, intricate drawings; detailed, earth-toned paintings in relaxed lines; and a font that mimics handwriting. The grandmother's responses cover a wide ground, identifying the creatures whose lives are sustained by rivers and, toward the close, briefly acknowledging the ways in which humans are polluting them. Many of her responses are evocative ("A river is a smell"), and some honor their lore: one spread pays tribute to mermaids and other "secrets" of rivers, and the following spread acknowledges "a magical underground river called Lethe." This thought-provoking book is a compelling conversation starter for young readers.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(1) K-3 With love and humanity--and humor--Velasquez (Looking for Bongo, Grandma's Gift) once again affirms young Black Latinx boys' identities and family experiences. Inspired by her cape-wearing grandson's painting of an octopus superhero, Ramsey's grandmother decides to make pulpo guisado, an octopus stew. Together they go to the market to find the perfect octopus for their dish. Back home, Grandma starts prepping for the stew--and suddenly, strange things start happening in her kitchen. With the exaggerated detail of a tall tale and the pacing and sound effects ("Bloop, Bloop, Bloop, Brrrr") of oral storytelling, Velasquez depicts an intergenerational tale filled with food, family, laughter, and love (fans of Looking for Bongo will find some familiar characters). The oil-paint illustrations effectively convey the story's larger-than-life supernatural elements as well as the protagonists' affectionate relationship; the many shades and features of Afro-Latinx families are displayed, including in a central foldout spread that contains a humorous and effective narrative surprise. An author's note, a glossary of the "non-standard Spanish" used throughout the story (and that Velasquez's own family used at home), and an octopus stew recipe are appended.

Reviewer: Sujei Lugo | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by April Harrison. Although her grandmother, Nana Akua, is her "favorite person in the whole universe," young Zura is not excited about the upcoming Grandparents Day at school. She thinks about others' reactions when people notice the marks on her grandmother's face--a tradition from her Akan culture of Ghana--and worries that her classmates will laugh or be mean. But Nana Akua has an idea. When she comes to school with Zura, they bring Zura's quilt, covered in Adinkra symbols. Nana Akua uses them to explain the importance of the tradition that she wears on her face--and she invites the class and grandparents to paint Adinkra symbols on their faces, too. Walker's text is appropriately detailed and uses simple language to express the deepest concerns and observations of a child. The closeness of Zura's family and the camaraderie within her diverse classroom are aspirational and touching. Harrison's mixed-media collages use texture, line, and both neutral and bright colors to create memorable characters and moments that invite readers to linger over each spread. Here is a story that is both highly specific in the culture represented and universal in its expressions of emotion and heritage. Adinkra symbols, with their names, pronunciations, and meanings, adorn the end pages, and a glossary and a short list of print and online resources extend the exploration.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Rafael López. Woodson and López (The Day You Begin, rev. 9/18) follow a brother and sister over the course of a challenging year spent mainly indoors: "That was the year we learned to fly." In Woodson's poetic text, the children's grandmother suggests that they use their imaginations to cure their boredom: "Lift your arms, / close your eyes, / take a deep breath, / and believe in a thing." Later, when they move across town and are faced with the challenge of making new friends, their much-practiced skills help them succeed. The book reminds children that imagination is a powerful tool in any situation, and López's colorful, eye-pleasing art enhances this message. Readers also are reminded that they have support from the past: "My grandmother had learned to fly / from the people who came before / They were aunts and uncles and cousins / who were brought here on huge ships / their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron / but, my grandmother said / nobody can ever cuff / your beautiful and brilliant mind." In the accompanying art, the young girl stands with head bowed and her grandmother's hand on her shoulder. Images of ships on the sea are silhouetted against her afro, and away flies a brightly colored bird, now unshackled. In an author's note, Woodson discusses how Virginia ­Hamilton's The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales inspired her to write stories.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022