I teach literature, writing, gender studies, and interdisciplinary studies in Arlington, TX. My current research explores LGBTQ+ children's picture books. I blog about children's literature at https://raisethemrighteous.wordpress.com.
Christina Francine’s Mr. Inker Finds a Home is a young boy named Rafiq who receives a talking pen named Mr. Inker for his birthday. This Level 3 reader is, at its core, a story about friends old and new. Rafiq has recently moved to the US from Pakistan and misses […]
Written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, The Undefeated, is a visual and textual ode to the strength and determination of Black Americans. Word and image stand in perfect balance, working together to create a beautiful picture book that celebrates Black cultural and political leaders, reflects on Black […]
Origami Orchestra (2018) is a beautiful children’s picture book sure to encourage sweet dreams. The gorgeous bedtime story is thoughtfully written by Ammie Elliott. The story, told in the first-person, follows a young child into their artful dream, which is sumptuously depicted by Travis McCoy who uses a variety of […]
Written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Kristy Caldwell, Thanks to Frances Perkins: Fighter for Workers Rights (2020) brings the social and political landscape that inspired Perkins’ labor activism to life. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 1880, Perkins was raised to respect intellect and kindness. She eventually earned […]
Adiba Jaigirdar’s The Henna Wars may be my favorite young adult love story of all time. Jaigirdar has created a smart, awkward, completely believable tale of two teen girls falling in love. Her protagonist, Nashat, is a Bangladeshi Irish teenager with a crush on Flávia, a Brazilian Irish teen new […]
Written by Karamo Brown and illustrated by Anoosha Said, I am Perfectly Designed (2020) is a beautiful exploration of a father-son relationship. Said’s use of color sets the tone and the diverse characters she scatters across the page emphasizes the story’s moral of acceptance. The phrase “perfectly designed” repeats throughout […]
Sugar Free Books‘ inaugural publication, Gabe Faces Ignorance, is the first children’s picture book I’ve read that tackles Islamophobia. Written by L.I. Forsete and illustrated by Gemma Gould, the story focuses on the friendship of Gabe, a white Christian boy, and Sophie, a tan-skinned rosy-cheeked Muslim girl. The two classmates […]
In February I received a gorgeous book from Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers. The book, Black is a Rainbow Color, written by Angela Joy and illustrated by Ekua Holmes, is an event. Holmes impressive illustrations are thick with meaning but inviting enough to capture and keep the […]
Shaunta Grimes’ Center of Gravity (2020) is steeped with references to 1980s culture and aesthetics. Tessa, the novels twelve-year-old protagonist, is losing everything: her mother, her best friend, even her home in Colorado. She’s also gaining things she doesn’t want: a twenty-three-year-old stepmom who is pregnant and a beach house […]
Isla’s Family Tree (2020), written by Katrina McKelvey and illustrated by Prue Pittock, is a warm and inviting story that manages to be both minimalist and richly specific. The red-haired title character is not excited that her mother is about to give birth to twins. She tells her parents that […]
