(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. On a Saturday morning, a young Black boy’s mother drops him off at the barbershop. Eager for the outing, the boy narrates the lively rituals of the Black men and neighborhood sons who gather there. Amid laughter, music, games, peddling, and storytelling, the barbershop serves as a hub for community, entertainment, oral tradition, and wisdom. Prismatic digital illustrations capture the barbershop's dynamic, multi-purpose nature, making this ode to Black barbershop culture truly shine.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. In this legend set in precolonial Dominica, Natari, a plucky eight-year-old Kalinago girl, is fascinated by the Great Spirit Serpent, her tribe’s wish-granting tutelary deity who dwells in a treasure cave that only tribal leaders may enter. After Natari saves her clan from starvation, she feels emboldened to visit the fearsome Serpent. Surprised by her unusual request for his friendship, the creature transforms into a human boy who takes her on a magical journey through the fabric of time and reality and warns her of the impending arrival of European colonizers. This discussion-worthy picture book based on the myth of the snake king upholds courage, disrupts gender stereotypes, and helps fill the gaping need for children’s literature featuring indigenous Caribbean characters. Daley employs intense colors that underscore the vitality of indigenous communities and cosmology.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. On the island of Jamaica, Shelly-Ann lives with her grandmother who is not only her “most favorite person in the whole wide world” but also a prize-winning cook. Hungry after spells of outdoor play, Shelly-Ann periodically requests various Jamaican dishes, which Granny banteringly insists she learns to make herself. Her bungled first forays in the kitchen are a recipe for discouragement, and Granny’s reminders that practice makes progress don’t land until Shelly-Ann comes to understand that cooking can be an act of service to others. Structural repetition and the less-than-flawless outcomes undergird the text’s message that sustained effort and intention trump perfection. Vibrant illustrations bubble with the warm colors of rural Jamaica. Back matter includes fun facts about the island and recipes for dishes described in the story.

Reviewer: Summer Edward

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. Joseph misses the camaraderie of shared meals at the refugee camp where he and his mother stayed until they were able to emigrate from East Africa (the glossary explains that he is Acholi). Now they live in a new city where "there are not enough people to eat with." Joseph invites his teacher, family members, and neighbors to come over for a meal, but only his neighbor Whoosh and her mother are able to come. Together, they enjoy a meal of traditional foods and settle into "a rhythm, a beat of people eating together, even if today it's only two more." The vibrant illustrations, full of color and movement (Whoosh is aptly named), nicely complement the poetic text.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. A girl explores her Haitian heritage when she visits Auntie Luce, a painter. The aunt describes Haiti's history and their shared family stories. As she paints a portrait of the child, Auntie Luce helps the girl to better understand herself as a daughter of two cultures. Daley's acrylic paintings are lush and vibrant. An appended note provides more about the author's inspiration and Haitian history. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Daley. In his Kenyan refugee camp, Joseph lusts after older boy Daau's bicycle, which Joseph helps fix up. After moving to America, Joseph zeroes in on a bicycle outside his building; Joseph's fix-it skills facilitate a friendship and his coveted ride. Farish's child-focused text poignantly highlights the young immigrant's experience in an unfamiliar setting. Daley's bright, chunky paintings capture the story's movement and emotion.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen