September 1, 2023
A young Black girl doesn't think she can measure up to her big sister. Anyiaka tells readers that her sister, Sorie, is pretty, helpful, and smart, and she looks just like Mom and Grandma. Anyiaka, whose skin tone is darker, wants to be helpful, too, but when she tries to prepare the red rice, she makes a mess. When she looks at the family photos on Grandma's wall, she wonders how she can ever fit into a family of such smart and beautiful people with "glamorous hair and golden brown skin." Spotting some nesting dolls, she starts to paint the smallest, darkest one (with whom she identifies) a lighter brown, but Grandma quickly sets her straight. Anyiaka may not look just like her sister, mom, and grandmother, but she has parts of all of them in her, and she takes after many family members, including Grandma's mama. The story doesn't explicitly make clear that Anyiaka is self-conscious about her darker skin, and some readers may not quite follow the story's multiple layers, though those aware of the impact of colorism will feel a kinship with her. Overall, the simple text, told from the perspective of a Gullah Geechee child, the use of dialect, the cultural details in the story, and the warm, collagelike art make for a unique and tender offering. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sweet tale with a strong message about how families fit together. (note about the Gullah Geechee people, photos) (Picture book. 3-7)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
September 1, 2023
K-Gr 2-A charming story about accepting who you are. Anyiaka doesn't feel like she is as pretty or talented as her sister or the other women in her family. When she sees the nesting dolls her grandmother is making, she decides to paint over the one that is designated as being in her image. Her grandmother, seeing what she has done, tells Anyiaka their history and the unique qualities all of the women in their family share. Brantley-Newton uses her own experiences to infuse the story with Gullah Geechee culture and dialect and includes an author's note about her family. The digitally created artwork, full of warmth and domestic touches that invite readers into the pages, includes bright colors and fun details worth revisiting. VERDICT A sweet story about embracing your history, set amid a beautiful Black family's reunion.-V. Lynn Christiansen
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from September 1, 2023
Brantley-Newton highlights the bonds, both visible and invisible, that connect family members. Anyiaka's older sister, Sorie, has light brown skin like their mom's and grandma's. Anyiaka's darker skin causes her to wonder about her place in the family. "Everyone in my family is so beautiful and so smart. And then there's me." With the help of family portraits (mostly illustrated, with a couple of interspersed photographs) and a set of nesting dolls representing the women in their family, Grandma shows Anyiaka that her mahogany skin and thick hair come from her great-grandmother: "Our family has been workin' to make oonuh for years and years." In addition to Grandma's dialect, digital drawings provide more context to the story, set among the Gullah Geechee of South Carolina's Sea Islands. The bold-hued images depict a loving intergenerational family with deep roots. An author's note discusses Brantley-Newton's own Gullah Geechee roots and the group's long history on the Sea Islands. Nicholl Denice Montgomery
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
October 9, 2023
During a trip to visit their grandparents, Anyiaka, a child with dark brown skin, feels like they “stick out like a sore thumb” among family members who have “glamorous hair and golden brown skin.” After being sent out of the kitchen when trying to help make dinner, Anyiaka examines pictures of ancestors in their grandmother’s art studio, and attempts to repaint a nesting doll figure that represents Anyiaka, using a lighter color. The child’s grandma, who speaks in dialect, remarks that the family is similar in ways Anyiaka doesn’t see, from the smile they inherited from her to their mom’s “soulful eyes” and their sibling’s “rosy cheeks.” With Anyiaka’s sister and mother, they make a set of nesting dolls that reflect all of them: “Every doll is different, but they come together to make one big doll. One big family.” Brantley-Newton’s abundant use of vivid textile patterns gives the story a homey atmosphere that suits its layered contemplation of family. A note about the Gullah Geechee people concludes. Ages 4–8.
October 15, 2023
Grades K-3 Anyiaka admires everything about her older sister, Sorie, including how much she's like Mom and Grandma--Sorie even has their "golden brown skin," while Anyiaka is the darkest in her family. Anyiaka feels even more out of place in Grandma's art studio while looking at family portraits, then at nearby nesting dolls, one of which has darker skin than the rest, just like her--"Is this me?" she wonders. Upset and wanting to fit in, she begins repainting the doll with a lighter shade of brown, until Grandma enters and reassures, explaining that Anyiaka has attributes of every woman in their family, not just her skin. Uplifted, and with Grandma, Mom, and Sorie's help, Anyiaka completes the doll to look more like herself, realizing it fits with the rest perfectly. The lively, loving Gullah Geechee family is depicted in vibrant mixed-media illustrations, incorporating bright patterns and photographic elements. Along with Anyiaka's expressive narrative, this offers an affectionate celebration of family through generations. A sweet and affirming book that gently tackles the issue of colorism.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
January 1, 2024
Brantley-Newton highlights the bonds, both visible and invisible, that connect family members. Anyiaka's older sister, Sorie, has light brown skin like their mom's and grandma's. Anyiaka's darker skin causes her to wonder about her place in the family. "Everyone in my family is so beautiful and so smart. And then there's me." With the help of family portraits (mostly illustrated with a couple of interspersed photographs) and a set of nesting dolls representing the women in their family, Grandma shows Anyiaka that her mahogany skin and thick hair come from her great-grandmother: "Our family has been workin' to make oonuh for years and years." In addition to Grandma's dialect, digital drawings provide more context to the story, set among the Gullah Geechee of South Carolina's Sea Islands. The bold-hued images depict a loving intergenerational family with deep roots. An author's note discusses Brantley-Newton's own Gullah Geechee roots and the group's long history on the Sea Islands.
(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)