Review by Booklist Review
Here hip-hop group Alphabet Rockers extend their song "Not Alone" (part of their Love album, which was nominated for a Best Children's Album Grammy in 2019) into book format, with a diverse group of kids showcasing their experiences and the need for everyone to listen and raise their voices in protest or support. The narrators, all of whom seem to be teen or preteen, representing a variety of races and genders and including visibly disabled characters (a child with a prosthetic arm, another using a wheelchair), present vignettes of being excluded or misunderstood, underscoring their stories with questions of their own: "Have you ever felt people didn't get you?" "Have you ever felt you couldn't share your true feelings?" The bold, full-color illustrations start with depictions of actual posters (like "Black Lives Matter") and then continue with a largely poster-art format that perfectly fits the theme of activism. Although the song format leads to a repetitious feeling in the back half, the overall message still hits home.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Employing the refrain "You are not alone," Grammy nominees the Alphabet Rockers offer a lyrical exploration of solidarity. The book begins by following a short-haired Black child: "You don't know me,/ but I wonder if you look at your/ skin the way I look at mine./ You don't know me,/ but I need you to know that/ I don't always feel safe here." The child invites readers to get to know them, highlighting using one's voice to both speak one's truth and amplify others'. Subsequent pages explore other frequently marginalized experiences from the first-person perspective, as Evans's warm digital art portrays bright, inclusive spreads: a cued--South Asian child with a braid says no one pronounces their name correctly; a light-skinned, black-haired child DJ with a prosthetic arm speaks about their music and limitless possibilities; a Native child asks readers to uplift Indigenous land acknowledgment; a light-skinned child speaks about being nonbinary; and more, as each child offers an example of a friend's support. If the book skews long, its earnest advocacy and heartening message is clear. Ages 4--8. (Jan.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The founders of the Grammy nominated hip-hop children's music collective Alphabet Rockers encourage kids to celebrate who they are and tell their stories. In first-person narratives, six diverse young people take turns sharing their experiences of prejudice; their identity struggles; and their desire to be seen, understood, and respected. "No one says my name right at school," an Indian girl reveals sadly as the artwork shows her being taunted by classmates. On a double-page spread showing a Black boy being racially profiled by a White storeowner, the text reads "You don't know me, / but I need you to know that / I don't always feel safe here." Despite being made to feel like they don't belong, the characters are making positive contributions to the world. "I'm making music that sends a signal to kids everywhere that / there is no limit to being you," says an Asian girl with a prosthetic hand who is a DJ. "When I help the community, / I MAKE THE PLANET BETTER / FOR SEVEN GENERATIONS / TO COME," declares a Native American girl who is a land and water protector. A White nonbinary kid welcomes questions, acknowledging that some can hurt: "I have a friend who loves me for me. / Doesn't ask about my body parts, / but does want to know what / it is like being nonbinary." A biracial boy contemplates the starry night sky and reminds the reader that "I've always been here. Shining." Evans' digital illustrations present the kids cartoonishly, with large, glowing eyes and differentiated skin tones. The text--which might be imaginatively enhanced via spoken word or rap--sometimes reads choppily. The kids' engaging stories build to an empathic, call-and-response coda: "If you feel it in your heart and you're ready to take part, / say I'm not alone--I'M NOT ALONE." Exuberantly affirming and infectiously joyful. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
