Review by Booklist Review
Baptiste brings the Caribbean folklore of her middle-grade fantasy series to the younger set with this picture book about a Black girl on the hunt for jumbies. Nearly all children become afraid of things that go bump in the night, and Naya is no exception. She's fascinated by--and a little frightened of--jumbies, spirits her storybook says can be helpful or scary. Determined to "find a scary one," she ventures into the night, and in the nearby tropical forest--colored in shadowy teal, purples, and greens--Naya encounters a series of jumbies, which range in appearance from small and humanoid to wolflike to brightly glowing like a genie. Despite some unsettling first impressions, all the jumbies prove kind and helpful as they join Naya in her search. Eventually they all end up back at Naya's house, ready for a good night's sleep. The illustrations are colorful and dreamlike, and Ren pays special attention to accentuating the features of characters. A nice addition to offerings on being afraid of the dark, monsters, or nighttime adventures.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--It's getting dark, so Naya's mother calls her to come to bed. But Naya says that she's not scared of the Jumbies, creatures from Caribbean stories similar to fairies and trolls that come out at night. Naya's mom tells her that Jumbies are only in stories, but Naya goes searching for one anyway. She doesn't find a scary Jumbie, but she does discover an interesting cast of mythical creatures from Caribbean folklore. Every creature she encounters is nothing like she imagined, a helpful reminder that you can't always believe what you read in stories. This is an adorable tale of a girl's mission to find legendary figures that will be familiar to some readers and brand-new to others. Each creature is presented in a visually pleasing way. The bright images are the perfect way to illustrate this upbeat story. The layout and size of the sentences vary depending on the page or the background image, which makes for a dynamic reading experience. VERDICT A vibrant and entertaining tale filled with mythical creatures from Caribbean stories that is perfect for Halloween and year-round.--Myiesha Speight, formerly at Towson Univ., Baltimore
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Naya knows that tonight is perfect for searching for something scary, but with some new companions, she won't have to search alone. As Naya's mother puts her to bed, the brown-skinned duo's hair appropriately wrapped, indoor and outdoor animals exactly where they need to be, a full moon and stars twinkling brightly above, Naya has already decided she's going on an adventure. She's going to find a jumbie--a creature of Caribbean folklore--an especially scary one, expressing this in a refrain that recalls "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." Ren's friendly cartoons illustrate Naya's path out from her warm, pink home into the lush, green outdoors. Over the course of her journey, Naya comes across some striking creatures that could be jumbies, but they're not quite scary enough. In fact, every creature she meets tonight is so friendly it joins her in her search for a scary jumbie. By journey's end, her team is as vibrant and diverse as the stories and legends in which jumbies are traditionally found. Baptiste returns Naya and her story back home eventually, but not before introducing readers to a cast of folk characters from the Douen to Mama D'Leau. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Whether or not jumbies are real is never fully revealed, but the power of their stories is as clear as day. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
