What will my story be?

PreS-Gr 2--In her debut picture book, Chanani (author of the graphic novel Pashmina) has created a delightful tribute to the important role aunties play in loving and inspiring children. Listening to the stories her three diverse aunties tell about their lives and experiences, a young brown-skinned girl with a mass of dark curls dreams about what stories her life will inspire and imagines what her future could hold. Throughout the various scenarios, her aunties are by her side--playing, encouraging, and listening. The art is vibrant, whimsical, and sure to draw in readers. With one or two sentences per page, the book can easily sustain a child's attention, particularly in read-aloud settings. Sometimes quirky and funny, such as a scene of pantless animal pirates that is bound to elicit giggles, the book is mostly sweet. However, in something of a mixed message, one spread about teaching dragons to speak seems odd when juxtaposed with an earlier scene of the girl's aunties learning English. VERDICT Chanani has created an ode to the families we choose that mostly hits the mark.--Monisha Blair, Glasgow M. S., Alexandria, VA

In a starlit room, an unnamed protagonist listens to her aunties tell stories. The female elders tell tales of immigration, multilingualism, and change. The protagonist soaks the stories up, completely rapt. Every word her aunties say feels "steeped in love and lore." The more she listens, the more she wants to tell her own story. But how will she know what her story will be? Soon, her imagination takes flight. Will her story be about sailing away with pirates who have forgotten their trousers? Or will her story be about teaching magical creatures their alphabets? She wonders if she will become an explorer. When her aunties hear that she is trying to tell her story, they encourage her to find her own voice. That is when the protagonist realizes that her story is more than just her present and future: It is also her past, including all the memories and adventures and histories she's inherited from women like her aunties. By the end of the book, the narrator still isn't sure what her story will be, but--with the help of her aunties--she is excited to find out. The book's text is lyrical, whimsical, and inspiring, the vision of interweaving individual and collective stories both accessible and heartwarming. The illustrations of the brown-skinned protagonist and racially diverse aunties are gentle and playful. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Wisely counsels looking to our past to find our future. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.