(1) K-3 Illustrated by London Ladd. Hudson introduces young readers to the African American spiritual through descriptions of a young girl's emotions and associations accompanied by relevant spiritual verses. "When I hear spirituals, / They make me proud / To think of the strength / Our people have always had" is matched with an excerpt from the spiritual "Oh, Freedom," while the art shows enslaved people engaging in a historical uprising. As the girl remembers the civil rights movement, the text reads, "When I hear spirituals, / ...I sing with freedom fighters / I stand straight-shouldered with ancestors," and is accompanied by a chorus from "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" and a painting of a civil rights march. Other images include a church congregation, praise dancers, a riverbank baptism, and a train heading north during the Great Migration ("Get on board, little children"). Hudson's illuminating text and Ladd's expressive double-page spreads rendered in acrylic, colored pencil, and cut paper capture each aspect of the spirituals devoutly and respectfully. Extensive back matter includes an author's note, a glossary, and a list of resources.

Reviewer: Pauletta Brown Bracy | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2035

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. An offstage (until the last page) narrator tells readers about her friend Maya, a young ballet dancer. The text in rhyme describes how "music moves Maya," whether it's classical, jazz, gospel, or reggae. Soft illustrations capture the joy of dance and finally display our narrator, who is in a wheelchair but experiences her own satisfaction--through her drawing.

Reviewer: Amy Kellman

(4) PS Photographs by John-Francis Bourke & John-Francis Bourke. "Hands can wave / to say 'hello.' / Hands can touch things / HIGH and low. / Hands can learn / to tie a shoe. / Hands can say, / 'I love you.'" The banal rhymes don't always scan, but the book's large, candid-looking color photos, set on inviting solid-color screens, of young children digging, clapping, and otherwise acting out the text are appealing.

Reviewer: Nell Beram