Sharing a Smile

Dressed in a lavender T-shirt and overalls, Sophie, a Black girl with two dark braids, peers from the window beside her grandfather, also Black, who points out each of their neighbors wearing masks “to help keep everyone safe.” When Sophie notices that their white across-the-street neighbor, Jenny, looks scared, Grandpa’s words (“It can be hard to be brave when things change. That’s why we need our friends”) spur an idea to cheer the neighborhood, and the duo spend hours sewing custom fabric masks for their block. Evans uses a gentle color palette to depict an inclusive neighborhood, with a Black mail carrier and an older Latinx butterfly watcher, among others. Readers won’t come away with context for why the masks are being used, but this sweetly creative, community-focused look at the contemporary landscape is likely to inspire similar projects. Ages 4–up. [em](Feb.) [/em]