We Can: Portraits of Power

Prolific Black teen portraitist Gordon presents a collection of portrait busts of icons, mostly Black figures who have left—or are leaving—their mark on culture, through film (Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis), literature (Maya Angelou), music (the Beatles, Bob Marley), and sports (Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick, Naomi Osaka), and via civil rights (Martin Luther King Jr.), political offices (Kamala Harris, John Lewis), and the presidency of the United States (Biden and Obama each make an appearance). Distinct, pop art–esque paintings, rendered in grayscale against colorful monochrome backgrounds, adeptly recall their inspirations; each likeness is appended by a brief paragraph about the figure portrayed, highlighting career milestones alongside personal connections or resonances in a conversational style: “Ms. Amanda [Gorman] and I have a lot in common: We both have a twin sibling, we were both born prematurely, and we both have similar speech impediments.” More gallery than resource, this picture book will pique the interest of those interested in art and biographical profiles. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)