Review by Booklist Review
Dalton's latest is a love letter to self-expression and learning to have pride in one's interests and identity, emphasizing the importance of finding a safe haven to cultivate inspiration and growth. From music creation to mural painting to urban photography and spoken-word poetry, Dalton's encouraging prose and Peoples' vivid illustrations will inspire young readers to explore various modes of self-expression and find an outlet to help them be themselves and also learn more about their community and the world. There's no shortage of interests depicted here, from activism to cooking to modern dance, and many will see themselves reflected in the pages as the people they are--or the people they would like to become--through a range of diverse characters represented among multimedia collages. Readers of all ages will find comfort in this book, with its motivating message that it's never too late to pursue your dreams and share the person you want to be with the world.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"What will you do.../ or say.../ or make.../ to express who you are?" In a series of questions, Dalton asks readers to consider varying forms of artistic expression. "Language that makes you feel/ something; that makes you/ think something; that makes/ you do something," one spread reads, presenting four brown-skinned figures, one with a camera taking photos of three holding protest signs. Other spreads feature those finding their voices via mural painting, music, spoken word, cooking, and fashion, with the cameraperson capturing the action through-out. Peoples's stylized artwork, created with oil on paper and illustration board, centers brown-skinned figures amid almost tangibly textured backgrounds. A rousing rallying cry for young creatives. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3--A young photographer with brown skin and dark hair traverses her neighborhood and documents the exemplary art, music, and culture found in the streets, shops, and museums of her Black community. Involved in equal parts celebration and inspiration, the narrator observes the self-expression around her and asks the question of her audience: How will their impact be made? The vibrancy, richness, and importance of Black joy is central to this title and resonates in the art, music, spoken word, and activism the young narrator encounters. Dalton cleverly permeates the narrative with sounds, giving the text a musical and poetic quality. On each page spread, the vignettes are detailed with texture and dimension. Peoples's mixtures of technique and perspectives give the art a dynamism that harmonizes with the text throughout. Returning home at the end of the book, the narrator poses the question, "Is there a place where you shine? A space you fill with things that inspire you?" VERDICT A testament to Black excellence, this picture book will inspire readers to set no limits to their potential.--Sarah Simpson, Westerville P. L., OH
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An empowering picture book encourages children to develop their own voice, style, and personality in order to make an impact in the world. A young Black girl invites young readers to "look around" at the world and reflect on what they will "do.../ or say.../ or make... / to express who you are." With a camera in hand, she visits various places in her neighborhood--an art gallery, a sewing studio, and a planetarium, to name a few--and observes the many ways in which kids in her community are expressing themselves. Readers see another girl painting a mural, a boy with dreadlocks spinning music at a turntable, a marching band practicing, a choir singing, a spoken word artist performing, dancers and hula-hoopers in the park, and more. "Maybe your creative space is blank... / patiently waiting for you to fill it with powerful text" reads a double-page spread showing kids making signs for--and then participating in--a street protest. Another double-page spread shows kids getting their hair styled in a salon, and the text asks "Are you the canvas?" A current of lyricism runs through Dalton's narrative, which is thoughtful and inquisitory ("Is there a place where you shine? A space you / fill with all the things that inspire you?"), reminding kids to take their time and reflect carefully as they figure out who they are and what they want to share with the world. Peoples' artwork, rendered using oil on paper and illustration board, is reminiscent of child art and fittingly draws attention to itself as a created work through the use of painterly textures. All characters are Black. Show kids the world is their oyster by giving them this thought-provoking book. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
