Review by Booklist Review
Rhodes and McWilliams offer a vibrant story centering on familial love and cultural heritage shared between mother and daughter. Through the eyes of a young girl, readers are called into the world of step, a percussive dance tradition rooted in African and African American history. Observing her mom's rhythmic movements during moments of frustration and joy, she discovers the power of self-expression showcased in the beauty of step and its role in fostering connections. This story touches on many difficult topics, including the reverberating effects of slavery and prejudice, but emphasizes how solidarity and resilience within communities can be restorative, ultimately providing both a window and mirror for young readers. Evoking the warmth of oil pastels in vibrant hues and textured strokes, the illustrations nicely capture step's energy and emotion, calling readers to feel the beat pulsating throughout the storyline and drawing attention to key movements of hands and feet during the routines. This energetic introduction to a Black American dance tradition showcases the joy of channeling big feelings into artistic expression and will get kids' toes tapping.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mother-daughter team Rhodes and McWilliams feature a mother-daughter duo in this energetic picture book rooted in the history of step. "Where me and Mama live, not many people look like us. Sometimes that makes Mama sad as can be," begins the young Black narrator. When Mama's stopped twice by cops who ask "if she lives in the neighborhood," Mama dons her dancing boots and "gets to what she calls 'steppin.' " Trying to learn more, the protagonist visits Mama's sorority sister, who says "steppin's roots go all the way back to slavery, but step didn't pop until sisters and brothers went to college." Other women in Mama's life further define step as "sisterhood" and "a megaphone for our resistance." Asked why it helps with frustration, Mama herself finally walks her child through the moves ("First, catch the rhythm. Feel it in your soul"). In a striking color palette, Mukodiri Uchendu depicts the narrator seeking knowledge from Mama's close circle--an act that underlines the book's high-level exploration of Black culture, sisterhood, and step. Back matter provides clarifying context about the subject. Ages 4--8. (June)
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Review by Horn Book Review
"STOMP, CLAP, / FLIP, FLAP, / GO HARD, / SNAP BACK!" A rhythmic refrain immerses readers in step, an age-old African American tradition that includes stomping, clapping, singing, chanting, cheering, and careful choreography. A brown-skinned African American girl, who wears a big Afro puff, lives with her mom in a neighborhood where "not many people look like us." When police officers profile Mama or a white woman tries to touch her hair, Mama goes home, dons her dancing boots, and "gets to what she calls 'steppin'.'" When the daughter asks why stepping makes her feel better, Mama sends her to three different strong Black women: a sorority sister, an auntie, and a Black Lives Matter community organizer. The girl learns that step originated in slavery, when people used the only instruments they had (their bodies), and that it flourished when Black sororities and fraternities on college campuses made it integral to their traditions. Uchendu's digitally created illustrations convey a sense of perpetual motion; the joyful color palette abounds in yellow, orange, red, purple, and, of course, pink, a prominent color worn by women of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the sorority highlighted in the book. Celebrating Black history and sisterhood, this story brings awareness to an art form rarely performed outside of African American communities. Like step, this tale should be enjoyed and shared. Michelle H. MartinJuly/August 2024 p.112 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this collaboration from mother-daughter team Rhodes and McWilliams, a Black girl learns about step dancing. The young narrator and her mom live in a neighborhood where "not many people look like us." Mama's disheartened when she's racially profiled by police, but she channels her pain into steppin'. What's that? A series of family friends fill the child in. One of Mama's sorority sisters, Dr. Jameson, tells her that step is rooted in the history of slavery, but it really took off when Black college students formed their own fraternities and sororities. Aunt Sharifa confides that for her, step was both a way to find solace as a bullied child and to celebrate big wins. Miss Mae, a community organizer, tells the child that step is "a megaphone for resistance." Above all, the protagonist realizes, step is an expression of strength and solidarity in difficult times. The tale ends with the child joining a step team and finding her own sisterhood. Rhodes and McWilliams have crafted a lively, rhythmic narrative, punctuated by onomatopoeia, that will have readers chanting along: "STOMP, CLAP, FLIP, FLAP, GO HARD, SNAP BACK!" Fluid illustrations accompany the text, which balances the heartache Black women and girls face with the triumph of sisterhood. Backmatter offers more information on step's origins and continuing influence. A joyful tribute to the ways in which Black women use culture and connection to both survive and thrive. (timeline, resources) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
