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PICTURE BOOKS
Subisak, Tracy

Jenny Mei Is Sad

40 pp. | Little | June, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-0-316-53771-1 $17.99
(2) K-3 You can't always tell when Jenny Mei is feeling blue. "Even when she's sad, she still smiles," confides the book's unnamed narrator, Jenny Mei's friend. Most days the girl's sadness is unnoticeable as she entertains and delights her classmates. "But some days are not as fun." On this day, Jenny Mei angrily rips a classmate's paper in two. With a page-turn we see the assignment written on the chalkboard: "Draw your family!" On nearly every desk is an outline of that student's presumed family members, while Jenny Mei's paper is simply scribbled over (perhaps a hint at her distress). Thankfully, her teacher provides a listening ear after class, and Jenny Mei leaves school hand-in-hand with her friend, quietly, but more at ease, knowing she has love and support regardless of her mood. Subisak's illustrations, rendered in India ink, Japanese watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil, are bold in color yet delicate in detail. Several pages have a blank white background, bringing more emphasis to both the words and Jenny Mei's expressions. The text is simple yet thoughtful, painting our narrator as the empathetic friend she is. A touching note in the author's bio shares her connection to her protagonist's experience.
Reviewer: Hill Saxton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

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