Kidlit review: The Little Linebacker

As part of Multicultural Children's Book Day I received the uplifting softcover picture book The Little Linebacker: A Story of Determination by Stephen Tulloch and Maria Dismondy, illustrated by Heather Heyworth.

Sure to appeal to young football (or other sport) fans, The Little Linebacker is the story of young Stephen Tulloch, who grows up to be a real-life linebacker for the Titans and the Lions.

Every few pages in The Little Linebacker represents a challenge in Stephen's lifelong goal to become a pro football player. As a young child, he's impatient with Little League practices; as he gets older, he struggles with his math grades; as a teen, he is chosen last for the team. (Challenges are gentle and relatable to most children; this book does not tackle larger societal issues.)

Each setback is met with realistic disappointment on Stephen's face until he finds sources of inspiration: his mom, a mentor, a friend, even an inspirational poster ("You can. You will. End of story.").

In each case, Stephen sets his mind to his goal and works to do better, whether it's channeling his energy into studying math or supporting his teammates in whatever capacity he can. These solutions are also easy for kids to understand and apply to themselves.

By the end, Stephen's success is achieved through his willingness to work hard, keep trying, and to work collaboratively, goals that are emphasized in the reading tips at the beginning of the book as well as "Tully's Tips for Kids" at the end of the book.

With text featuring longer sentences and multisyllabic words, this picture book is designed to be read aloud or by moderately comfortable self-readers. The illustrations are bright, cheery, and cartoony, with easy-to-recognize character expressions against familiar backdrops (kitchen, playground, classroom). The multicultural cast reflects the book's themes of cooperation and mutual support.

The Little Linebacker is part of several educational programs by the authors: The Stephen Tulloch Foundation, Operation 55, and Maria Dismondy's books, blog, and public speaking programs.

For families and teachers seeking uplifting, sports-themed stories that emphasize determination and teamwork, The Little Linebacker lines up!

Click here for more multicultural children's books as well as a FREE Classroom Kindness Kit! #ReadYourWorld

Review: Last Stop on Market Street

Have you read Last Stop on Market Street yet? It's the first picture book AND the first Latino author, Matt de la Pena, to ever win the Newberry medal. If you haven't, pick it up, because it's gorgeous.

Of course, even with a book this lovely, there's controversy. Apparently, some commentators think that diversity can't exist simultaneously with quality. Which is ridiculous.

This deceptively simple story, with equally deceptively simple pictures by Christian Robinson, chronicles the journey of a little boy, CJ, and his grandmother across town by bus. Along the way, CJ asks his grandmother questions like "How come we gotta wait for the bus in all this wet?" and "Nana, how come we don't got a car?"

His grandmother answers with grace: "We got a bus that breathes fire, and old Mr. Dennis, who always has a trick for you." (Sure enough, Mr. Dennis the bus driver has a magic trick for CJ.) In the illustration, the bus has the image of a fire-breathing dragon along its side, merging imagination with reality the way young children do.

On the bus, CJ and his Nana interact with a variety of people, and Nana sees the beauty in each person. My favorite line comes after CJ asks about "crumbling sidewalks and broken-down doors, / graffiti-tagged windows and boarded-up stores." The illustrations show a cityscape, but a flock of grey and black pigeons flying across the front of buildings and a fence prepare for Nana's answer:

"Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."

The mixed-media art looks like cut paper layered and painted or colored to create a bright, textured cityscape. Simple shapes, gestures, and details convey surprising depths of emotion with what appear to be a few strokes.

The language conveys CJ's and Nana's voices in realistic, imperfect syntax, capturing spoken word. Narration features rhymes and rhythms that float across pages like improvisational jazz, perfectly suited for reading aloud again and again.

This book made me think of Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, another beautiful story about a simple day, as well as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (and Sesame Street)--celebrations of vibrant city life and loving communities. I want to live on Market Street, a testament to the beauty, amid the "dirt," that its creators witnessed there.

Review: Thunder Boy, Jr.

I love Sherman Alexie's writing, so I was excited to see he has a new picture book.

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is a cute story--with deeper themes--about a chubby-cheeked kid who doesn't think his name is "normal." His real name is Thunder Boy Smith, named for his father, but people call him "Little Thunder," which he thinks "sounds like a burp or a fart."

With charm and humor, Thunder Boy imagines all the other names he might like to be called: Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Can't Run Fast While Laughing. This part of the book practically invites kids to come up with their own names based on what they find important about themselves--as well as celebrating Native American naming traditions.

Morales's illustrations are bright and energetic, with Thunder Boy and his little sister dancing across the pages (parents nearby, particularly the father, smile, hug, and reach out to the children) against a textured background filled with colorful abstract shapes. In the end, this short, sweet book becomes a meditation on identity and family, as well as on the importance of a name.

Banned book review: I Am Jazz

Banned books stun me. Seriously? We're still doing this?

When I read about a school in Wisconsin cancelling an author's reading--of a PICTURE BOOK--for fear of lawsuits, and then 600 people packed a library a week later to hear that author read, I knew I had to check out this book.

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, with illustrations by Shelagh McNicholas, is a sweetly illustrated, gently narrated story of a little girl--she appears to be about 7--who likes "dancing, singing, back flips, drawing, soccer, swimming, makeup, and pretending I'm a pop star."  Her best friends are Samantha and Casey...but "I'm not exactly like Samantha and Casey."

Jazz has "a girl brain but a boy body. This is called transgender." The story goes on to describe how as a very little child, she felt wrong dressed as a boy or when told to do "boy" things. Her parents, holding her on their lap, talk with a doctor, and afterwards hug her and say, "We understand now. Be who you are. We love you no matter what."

Jazz grows her hair and wears girl clothes to school, and though she has (very gently handled) challenges with other kids and teachers, her parents tell her "being different is okay" and Jazz remembers "the kids who get to know me usually want to be my friend."

Illustrations are soft, pastel watercolors with flowing lines and rosy cheeks. Empathetic faces convey love and joy. I wish there was more racial diversity among the people; Jazz in real life (on her reality TV show) has an olive complexion, but in the book she and her family are rendered very pale-skinned.

I Am Jazz is a celebration of uniqueness, reminding readers that we are all different, which makes us each special and deserving of love, respect, and understanding.

When I read this with my 6-year-old, we talked a little about how it's good for people to be who they are inside. He nodded and said, "That book's OK. But I like more adventure. Or scary and funny together. That's what I like."

All right. Knowing what you like is a good step toward accepting who you are!