HOLIDAY HOUSE, 2024 |
Join me in welcoming and celebrating two new picture books that feature cultural situations and characters but provide universal appeal and learning. The first is INSHA'ALLAH, NO, MAYBE SO, co-authored by Rhonda Roumani and Nadia Roumani and illustrated by Olivia Aserr.
NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2024 |
Also a story with universal appeal is THE PLANT RESCUER, written and illustrated by Matthew Rivera.
First line: "Manny and his dad come from a long line of gardeners."
The following pages reveal the lush and lively experience and skills Dad brings to developing and maintaining landscapes that are verdant and healthy. Manny and Dad live in a space without outdoor planting options, but Dad's love and skill turn their apartment into a lush "jungle".
Manny accompanies Dad in his work, appreciating his evident talent and also celebrating his family heritage. But when Papa buys Manny his very own plant and urges him to keep it well and strong, problems arise. Manny has an expert close at hand to ask for help, but he opts to solve this himself, to earn and prove his place in this family lineage. He draws on the boundless resources of a library to learn what he needs to know and do, to rescue his own plant, Amigo. The happy resolve to his worry allows Manny and Dad to share plants with their diverse neighbors as Manny claims his space as youngest among their long line of plant rescuers.
I really enjoyed the vibrant and phenomenal abundance of the plants throughout, making each page a celebration of life as well as an invitation to look closely, find out more, and appreciate the nuances of plant shapes and colors.
Both books offer warm and welcoming stories for all readers, providing mirrors to children who share their heritages, and windows to those of other backgrounds and identities. Both are going to be classroom and library favorites.
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