(3) 4-6 Faiza, a determined girl from the Indian Himalayas, dreams of becoming a boxer. Inspired by Olympian Mary Kom, she trains with her father, overcoming bullying, grief, and poverty to enter a local tournament. Stylized illustrations, using a limited color palette and classical Indian influences, add depth to her journey. A supernatural twist enriches the emotional arc of this resonant, visually rich middle-grade graphic novel celebrating resilience, heritage, and female empowerment. A glossary and information about Dasgupta’s process provide interesting details.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Stephany Mesa. On a full-moon night, an Afro-Latino boy yields to his grandmother’s hushed invitation to dance outdoors in a grove of plátano trees. The boy can detect the nocturnal chorus of singing insects and leaves rustling in the wind but not the mysterious secret of the plátano that Abuela hears. As she guides him to listen to the rhythm of his beating heart, he too discovers what the plátano teaches: “Love is the magic that helps everything grow.” More vignette than narrative, this lyrical picture book celebrates intergenerational relationships and champions love as the organizing principle of Creation. Textured digital illustrations awash with umbrous shades of blue and green usher readers into the “dance enchantment.”

Reviewer: Summer Edward