![]() Jesmyn Ward (born April 1, 1977) is an American novelist and a professor of English at Tulane University, where she holds the Andrew W. National Book Award for Fiction (2011, 2017).(This book was reviewed digitally.)Ĭharming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. ![]() BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations. Oswald’s detailed, comical illustrations continue to provide laughs, including a spot with Cheese onstage doing a “CHED” talk.įrom curds to riches, from meltdown to uplift-this multicourse romp delivers. More didactic and less pun-rich than previous entries in the Food Group series, this outing nevertheless couples a cheerful refrain with pithy life lessons that hit home. A debrief with Wedge “that wasn’t all about me” leads to further realizations: Losing builds empathy for others obsession with winning obscures “the joy of participating.” The chastened cheddar learns to reserve bragging for lifting up friends, because anyone can be the Big Cheese. A disappointed Cheese throws a full-blown tantrum before arriving at a moment of truth: Self-calming, conscious breathing permits deep relief that losing-even badly-does not result in disaster. At the annual Cheese-cathlon, Wedge bests six-time winner Cheese in every event, from the footrace and chess to hat making and bread buttering. Turns out that quiet, modest Wedge is also multitalented. Will help instill much-needed feelings of self-worth in little ones.Ī winning wheel of cheddar with braggadocio to match narrates a tale of comeuppance and redemption.įrom humble beginnings among kitchen curds living “quiet lives of pasteurization,” the Big Cheese longs to be the best and builds success and renown based on proven skills and dependable results: “I stuck to the things I was good at.” When newcomer Wedge moves to the village of Curds-on-Whey, the Cheese’s star status wobbles and falls. Depicting scenes ranging from birthday parties to playgrounds to fields of flowers, Knight-Justice’s digital illustrations have a collagelike look, incorporating written text and bits of sheet music they have a DIY feel that may inspire kids to create their own art-a nice reflection of the book’s theme of empowerment. The verse is warm and encouraging, reminding little ones of their worth. Simon and Hill advise parents to have their children repeat these statements back to them to foster self-love. “I am STRONG”-a child plays on a jungle gym. “I am BRAVE”-a child invites a solitary classmate to sit with them and their friends. “I am DESERVING”-another child reclines by the pool, a bowl of ice cream on their lap and a glass of lemonade on the table beside them. “I am WORTHY”-an adult gently tosses a smiling child into the air. The book begins with a note explaining that the authors wrote this book “to help our children see themselves as they truly are: spectacular.” Each spread contains a declaration and a short poem along with vibrant and imaginative artwork. Actors, married couple, and parents Simon and Hill offer affirmations that center Black and brown children.
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