The Boy Who Found His Voice

May 27, 2024
Tyler, portrayed with brown skin and an Afro, has “trouble with words. Long words. Short words. Silly words. All words.... just kept getting... STUCK!” In his thoughts, he knows “exactly what to say and how to say it,” including “the real reason why that chicken crossed the road.” In his day-to-day, though, “his tongue got tied,” leaving him “frustrated... and frazzled....” His mother advises, “Breathe in.... Breathe out.... Let go of all your doubt. You can.... You will.... You’re able!” a mantra that, along with practice, bolsters the young artist through a show-and-tell session he’s been dreading: sharing a self-portrait. Drawing, per an author’s note, from teen activist and artist Gordon’s experiences with stuttering, this uplifting work employs humor, rhythmic text, and lively digital illustrations as it moves toward a longed-for moment in which “the crowd went WILD” for the young protagonist. Ages 4–8.

May 1, 2024

Gr 2-4-In this semi-autobiographical picture book, Gordon shares the story of Tyler, a boy who stutters. Tyler struggles with being tongue-tied at school, his tongue depicted as long and snarled. With show-and-tell coming up, Tyler becomes increasingly nervous and self-conscious of his speech impediment. Thanks to some help from his mom and his outlet as an artist, Tyler is able to illustrate how he is feeling for the class presentation. At the end, the hero of the story promotes another book written and illustrated by Gordon, the author. Gordon is a talented illustrator, especially when it comes to depicting key words. When Tyler's words are stuck, the word "STUCK" appears huge, bold, and in a tangled knot of lines like his tongue. His mother's soothing words are drawn with a calming green color. Tyler has brown skin and natural hair. Gordon shares his own story in an author's note at the end. VERDICT Collections of all sizes can welcome this book, which fosters empathy for those with speech challenges.-Chance Lee Joyner

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2024
Gordon, a teen artist and activist who in 2020 went viral for his painting of then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, draws from his own experiences for this story of a child who uses art to express himself. Tyler's words always get "STUCK." "Long words. Short words. Silly words. All words." In his head, Tyler can speak "loudly" and "proudly," tell knock-knock jokes, and "even reveal the real reason why that chicken crossed the road." Yet in reality, "his tongue [gets] tied, and his words just [won't] come out right," a predicament vividly expressed via tangled scrawls and a spread depicting Tyler with a long, loop-laced tongue. Still, Tyler won't give up. His mother encourages him, and together they paint and practice saying "short words, long words, silly words" to describe their work. But at school, his stutter makes it hard for Tyler to find friends; kids stare and laugh when he stammers during show and tell. Again, his mother reassures him. Her ability to understand his paintings, even when they're imperfect, gives Tyler an idea. At the next show and tell, Tyler proudly unveils his self-portrait...and his audience goes "WILD!" Rhythmic, rhyming, and repeated phrases give the text strong read-aloud appeal; Gordon's animated, endearing cartoon illustrations readily convey Tyler's apprehension, determination, and joy. An author's note explains that Gordon was born deaf and acquired a stutter after undergoing surgery to improve his hearing. Tyler and his mom are Black; his classmates are diverse. Energetic and encouraging. (Picture book. 4-8)

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