Most American readers have never set foot in Africa; its customs and languages may seem distant and even foreign. But the words handed down by its people contain the same wisdom handed down throughout the world. In From the Heart of Africa, Canadian author Eric Walters presents 15 proverbs, gathered during his travels throughout Africa.

Representing many African countries and cultures, the proverbs are short and simple. A place of origin and a brief description (written at a child’s level) supplement each proverb, but the accompanying artwork is what truly elevates this book. The artists are from all walks of life—a street artist, a horticulturalist, art teachers and designers all lend their creativity—and they use a variety of mediums and styles. While each illustration is unique, shared traditions and cultural pride create continuity from page to page. Collectively, the images are vibrant, celebratory and full of texture.

A foreword informs readers on the importance of oral tradition, making this an important addition to school libraries. From the Heart of Africa reminds us that while Africa is at a great distance, the soul of the continent—and humanity—is never far.

This article was originally published in the January 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Nikki Giovanni and Ashley Bryan first collaborated in 1996 with The Sun Is So Quiet, and now they join creative forces once again to bring a new gift to readers. Anyone who knows Bryan knows his big, openhearted embrace of life, and Giovanni’s spare and eloquent poems embody his loving spirit, as in “Leaves,” which Giovanni has called a “love poem, from me to Ashley.” She writes, “When I’m sitting / In a tree / Looking for a friend / I hope you’ll be the one / Standing at the root / Holding out your arms / To gently catch / My fall.”

That spirit suffuses this volume, from “Because,” a gentle poem addressed to sons and daughters, to reflections on the strengths of ancestors in “I Am a Mirror.” But there’s also resoluteness behind these poems, a willingness to hint at big themes—age, death, loss, independence, heaven, the auction block and the middle passage, and an encouragement to take a stand. As in all good literature for the young, adult readers might see more in the words and images. “Wild Flowers” will resonate with anyone who has experienced recent loss: “Autumn will come . . . anyway . . . Let us continue . . . our dance . . . beneath the sun.”

Complementing Giovanni’s luminous poetry, Bryan’s ever-gorgeous tempera-and-watercolor art is a jeweled treasure—a stained glass and patchwork-quilt vision of love.

This article was originally published in the January 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

It’s a little ironic to judge Derrick Barnes’ Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by its cover, but this picture book is all about making a good appearance, so why not? The boy on Crown’s cover is beaming with pride—nothing can keep him down. Behold the alchemy of a good haircut on a black boy’s soul.

Inspired by his own weekly childhood haircuts by a man named Mr. Tony, Barnes tells a story of a young boy who walks into a barbershop with the weight of the world on his shoulders, and walks out looking and feeling like he can handle anything. Ace that geography exam? Sure! Impress that girl? Absolutely. Rule the world? You know it. This boy’s got it made. A fresh haircut in the barber’s chair is transformative, allowing the boy to see the world as a little less overwhelming and more as a place to belong and be happy.

Positive self-esteem is a fragile commodity among children, especially those from diverse backgrounds. With vibrant illustrations from Gordon C. James, Crown is an extraordinary and fun reminder that embracing your looks and putting your best foot forward are the first steps in tackling anything. Because when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, the sky is the limit.

A beautiful collaboration between author Julia Denos and illustrator E.B. Goodale, Windows quietly illuminates the places we call home and the connections we have to those around us.

Windows begins at the end of the day, under a warm, yellow-orange sky. Night classes and yoga are wrapping up, porches are being swept, dinner is on the stove. As the story unfolds in second person, a child in a hooded sweatshirt becomes all of us, and the town and street are our own for the night. As we walk, the dusky sky gives way to the glow of the windows, shining brightly against the muted outdoor colors.

Goodale’s subdued colors and fine detail capture scenes that are calm and familiar as well as eye-catching. Readers will be drawn from window to window, where bonsai grow, fish idle in their tanks and sewing machines wait. Denos keeps her words minimal, relying on creative descriptions to tell a story that leaves plenty of space for the reader’s imagination. But most compelling are the moments of human connection seen on the street as well as through the windows. Parents watch for their children, streamers dot the walls of a birthday party, partners dance, neighbors wave in passing, and kids chat via tin-can telephone.

A gentle, simple story with thoughtful undertones, Windows has the makings of a modern bedtime classic. As the town of Windows makes its way toward bedtime, so do we, surrounded by the objects, the loved ones and the books that we call home.

In Write to Me: Letters from Japanese American Children to the Librarian They Left Behind, author Cynthia Grady pays tribute to real-life Clara Breed, a World War II-era children’s librarian in the San Diego County Library system.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many of Miss Breed’s Japanese-American child patrons were unjustly sent with their families to internment camps. The book opens with one patron saying a tearful goodbye to her beloved librarian. Miss Breed gives the girl a stamped and addressed postcard, asking her to write: “We’ll want to know where you are.” Thus begins the librarian’s correspondence with approximately 30 children. They write to Miss Breed about their poor living conditions, the resources they lack, the sicknesses that visit many camps and how happy they are to receive her postcards and books. When the war ends and the Japanese-Americans are released, they “no longer had homes or farms.” In the final spread, we see one girl return, greeting her favorite librarian at the library she never wanted to leave.

Illustrator Amiko Hirao incorporates the children’s postcards into many spreads, all rendered via subdued, soft-focus colored pencils. Both opening and closing endpapers feature World War II-era photographs of Japanese-Americans and the internment camps. In addition to the author’s note, extensive back-matter notes include notable dates in Miss Breed’s life, a selected history of Japanese people in the U.S., a bibliography and more.

This restrained introduction to a painful time in American history serves as a tribute to the power of books to sustain one’s spirit.

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.

“In the beginning there is light and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed, and the sound of their voices is love.”

So begins the much-anticipated new picture book by Matt de la Peña, who won the prestigious Newbery Medal for Last Stop on Market Street, illustrated by Christian Robinson. Now teamed with New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long, de la Peña brings his compassionate sensibility to a moving and poetic coming-of-age story—with a twist.

For while the text of Love begins with a baby in a crib and ends with the moment a young person sets off on his or her own, the expansive illustrations go beyond a single child. Instead, each illustration helps to bring alive the author’s poetic exploration of love in all its forms and settings, from cityscapes to flower-strewn meadows. The illustrations embrace 21st-century America as a place of rich, multilayered diversity: We see a child in a wheelchair, a girl in a hijab, a picture of Jesus on a family’s wall, a child fishing with a grandfather and another watching a dad go off to work before dawn.

At the same time, de la Peña and Long don’t shy away from difficult subjects, making this a helpful book for initiating discussions with children. In one scene, a family is glued to the television during what appears to be an unnamed tragedy or disaster; in another, we see a child caught between angry parents.

Love is not simple, but it is enduring. And it is here, around us, sometimes in ways and in places we don’t even notice. Love reminds us of this in simple poetry and evocative illustrations, making it the perfect book to read and return to again and again, whatever age we might be.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Meet the illustrator of Love, Loren Long.

This vertically oriented picture book, first published in Italy in 2015, features a tall tree with a much-coveted nut amid its leafy branches. A small purple mouse stares up at it, declaring that she plans to gobble it up. After she shakes the tree—first to the right and then to the left (expect young readers to excitedly shake the book in solidarity)—a fox, not a nut, falls to the ground. He announces he’ll eat the mouse, who then scurries up the tree.

When the fox shakes the tree in an attempt to oust the mouse, a warthog drops to the ground. The warthog thinks the fox would make a great meal and declares she’ll eat him. Up the tree flees the fox. And so it goes, with a large bear falling from the tree when the warthog shakes it. When all the animals fall to the bear’s feet, the nut falls, too. The animals fear their demise when the bear announces, “I’m going to gobble you up!” Instead, bringing the story full circle, the bear goes straight for the nut.

All the action in Shake the Tree! takes place around the tree, with simple shapes on uncluttered spreads and much top-to-bottom (and vice versa) movement. When each animal faces off with the hungry creature at the bottom of tree, illustrator Silvia Borando opts for horizontal, bright red spreads, the color signifying the danger and alarm at hand. This makes the book’s twist ending all the more surprising for the young readers at whom the book is aimed.

An entertaining and lively read, this one is just right for story-time settings.

Julie Danielson features authors and illustrators at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, a children’s literature blog.