Literacy Matters Vol. 23 Winter 2023

Me andMama Cabrera, Cozbi. (2020). Unpaged. Simon & Schuster. 978-1534454217. $17.99 (Primary) —Ashlyn Bryant “I want to be everywhere Mama is.”Cozbi Cabrera takes us through a day in the life of a little girl who loves spending time with her Mama. In this 2020 Caldecott Honor book, the reader is immersed in the story of a young mother and her daughter. Frommatching toothbrushes

Boogie, Boogie, Y’all Esperanza, C.G. (2021). Unpaged. Harper Collins Publishers. 978-0062976222. $18.99 (Primary) —Danielle Edwards “Busy, busy, busy, till one kid stopped to say...”Boogie, Boogie, Y’all provides an elaborate peak into the busy streets of the Bronx, New York, where you enter a whole new world of imaginative things. This simple yet captivating story is sure to

entertain children and young adults of all ages. Esperanza poured his heart out for his hometown, the Bronx, on every single page with rhymes and pictures that simply make you want to get up and boogie. The illustration burst off the page with every face, monster, gradient, zigzag, and color. You can visit the streets of the Bronx and get a feel for the food trucks, subways, parks, and, perhaps most enticing, the art. Following two kids and a dog, the story shows the true meaning of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” This story makes the reader reconsider their previous views and qualifications for “what is art?” Is art in a gallery? Is art on the sides of train cars? Is art all around us? Is art within us all? Boogie, Boogie, Y’all is a must-read for artists, travelers, and anyone interested in slowing down to appreciate the beautiful world in front of them.

and rainboots to late-night storytelling and laughs, you follow a journey of unconditional love and endless joy. Throughout the story, this young girl discovers what she and her mother have in common and their differences. Savoring each moment they spend together, she looks up to her mother and wants to be just like her. Illustrations and descriptive language portray a beautiful story of love. Colors and images that practically jump off the page show us that even a simple rainy day can be one you never forget. The acrylic and hand-painted style of art shown in the illustrations brings a personal and comforting touch to this story and creates a relatable experience for many. This mother-and-daughter day is filled with color and life and brings perspective to mundane moments that we may take for granted. Me & Mama shows us that even the most simple moments can be special if spent with the ones you love.

Literacy Matters Feature Article

Still This Love Goes On Saint-Marie, Buffy. (2022). Illus. by Julie Flett. Unpaged. Greystone Books. ISBN: 978 1771648073. $16.70 (Primary) —MadasonWhitaker Still This Love Goes On is a book distinguished by its use of a lyrical tribute to Indigenous people’s culture that resounds with love, light, and power as the words flowmelodically through the

Forever Cousins Goodluck, Laurel. (2022). Illus. by Jonathon Nelson. Unpaged. Charlesbridge. ISBN: 978 1623542924. $17.99 (Primary) —Emily Grace Seay This book follows the lives of two cousins, Amanda and Kara, who are best friends. Their

pages and the reader. Its visual and auditory representation of Cree and indigenous culture guides you through the perspective and emotions of kisâkihitin and the ties we feel when loving our people, even when they are not with us. Passing through time and seasons, the reader delves into what it means to value our loved ones and the love that bonds greater than any distance. Each page illustrated by Julie Flett welcomes the reader into the narrator’s view as it encompasses representations of indigenous dress, musical connections, relationship with nature, values, traditions, and way of life. Through the use of Flett’s stunning, naturalistic illustrations journeying through this life on a reservation, the book accomplishes a sense of honor, belonging, reciprocity, and never-ending love. As told from an authentic perspective, Academy Award Winning author Buffy Saint-Marie elevates reading into a truly interactive experience by including sheet music in the back of the book to sing and play along. This book would be great for any and all educators, readers, and avid storytellers as it transcends all cultures and shares the message of family, community, and humanity alike. As a 2022 recipient of The NewYork Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award, it is no wonder that the love we have for this book goes on and on.

lives are about to change, though, as they prepare to go their separate ways when Kara embarks on her journey of moving to the Reservation (“Rez” for short) from the city where they both reside. With the growing distance from each other, both wonder if they will be able to maintain their close relationship. Each day they think of one another and wonder what the other is doing at that moment or what they would think in certain situations. After a long-awaited year, it is finally summer again. Summer means that Amanda and her family will be traveling to the Rez for the annual family reunion—and the girls will come together once again. As their reunion draws nearer, each girl becomes more nervous about how it will go. Amanda asks herself, “will Kara be happy to see me?” Kara asks herself, “will Amanda be happy to see me?”How will the reunion go? I love how Laurel Goodluck wrote this book to mimic her childhood of being part of an intertribal Native American family where some of them lived in the city and some on the Reservation. Goodluck and her brother looked forward to reuniting with their family—especially their cousins—at the summer reunions each year. Readers will witness Amanda and Kara’s much-awaited reunion in this book about cousins, community, and culture.

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