Karate Kids

A Saturday karate class comes to life in this picture book by Sterling, a sensei and medaled global competitor in the Japanese martial art form. In the first-person perspective, a pigtailed child called Maya conveys her enthusiasm for her karate class, showing readers her uniform, belt, and dojo, and using some karate terminology (age uke, gedan barai). Though Maya occasionally stumbles, her fellow karate kids are there to encourage her. Simple pencil and digitally colored illustrations complement the text’s accessibility. Though the sensei—who resembles the author—and Maya herself are white, the children in Maya’s class are inclusively portrayed, with multicultural names and skin tones, emphasizing the widespread appeal of the sport. Ages 3–7. [em](May) [/em]