Cline-Ransome and Juanita’s biography of trailblazing Black politician Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005) aptly evokes the “Unbought and Unbossed” woman who shook up U.S. politics. Born Shirley Anita St. Hill, the young figure “talked big, walked tall, and told just about everyone what to do.” Witnessing her parents’ hard work to feed her family in Brooklyn, and overhearing her father’s union-focused talk, she began “looking for answers in a world that seemed to turn its back on people who had less.” A full scholarship to Brooklyn College engaged her in the debate club and the NAACP, and she listened when a professor suggested she go into politics. Getting signatures to run for the New York State Assembly in 1964, she faced pushback that spurred her toward greater determination. Juanita’s inventive digital illustrations recreate Chisholm’s quotes in speech bubbles that seem to embody the loftiness of thunderheads, aptly suggesting force-of-nature stature for a figure who wanted “to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.” Secondary characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note and timeline conclude. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

A flutist and physicist becomes the first Latina to visit space in Rappaport and Dominguez’s inspirational biography of Ellen Ochoa (b. 1958). Beginning with her early life, detailed text describes how, Ochoa, one of five siblings, shared a love of learning with her mother. After watching the 1969 moon landing, Ochoa was intrigued by the idea of space exploration, but “the space program didn’t accept women.” In college, she majored in physics, then headed to graduate school for electrical engineering. After the astronaut program began accepting applications from women and people of color in 1978, and her first application saw her rejected, she continued to pursue her goal: “She took flying lessons... got a private pilot’s license... went to work for NASA.” Accepted into astronaut training in 1990, she went on to participate in four flights, even playing the flute in space. Dominguez’s engineering-like mixed-media art fittingly captures the underlying details around Ochoa’s determination and time spent in space. Creator notes and a timeline conclude. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

A child of Italian immigrants, self-taught painter Ralph Fasanella (1914–1997) grew up to celebrate laborers in his art, as described in a telling that distills formative moments into an overview of his life and work. Spending childhood in a New York City tenement building, he pictured stories told by his mother, a dress factory worker who regularly discussed unions and workers’ rights. Later, as a Depression-era teen, Fasanella worked in garment factories and as an ice deliveryman, joining a union before going to work for one. At age 31, to lessen pain in his hands, he began drawing, then painting, learning about art by visiting museums. Hoping to reach even more working-class people through his paintings, he quit his job and, in time, became famous for his politically themed work. Broyles details Ralph’s life via an engaging narrative of the intersection between art and organizing, while Tentler-Krylov’s closely worked, watercolor-textured illustrations echo the artist’s own detailed style. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

Opening with a description of the Ukrainian flag, conversational text introduces young Volodymyr Zelensky (b. 1978), during whose childhood “flying Ukraine’s flag was against the law.” Elovitz Marshall next offers up remarks about living under the Soviet Union’s oversight: “Anyone who broke the rules or said the wrong thing or criticized the Soviet government could be punished.” At age 13, Zelensky, witnessing the fall of the Soviet Union, “was so happy. It was a new start for all Ukrainians.” Zelensky’s adulthood—from his early years as a charismatic television entertainer to his presidential election in 2019—plays out in the text against Vladimir Putin’s growing push for control of Ukraine. The bright hopefulness of Olikyo’s gouache-style digital illustrations amplifies the story’s resolute view that, even as war drags on, “freedom is a fragile thing./ It needs to be cherished./ It needs to be protected./ And freedom depends on the truth.” An author’s note, timeline, and bibliography conclude. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

Economic, conversational text answers a straightforward query on each page of this signature-style q&a book from Page and the late Jenkins (What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?). About the titular question, “African elephants live in a hot climate, and they need a way to cool off. Their huge ears act like radiators, shedding excess heat.” Meanwhile, evocatively textured, ingeniously framed digital collages spotlight the animals. One spread zooms in on a zebra’s back, which seems to ripple across the pages. Later, a giant squid’s smoky black pupil, shown surrounded by a yellow-green cornea, pops out from the verso, while the recto shows the creature’s dappled blood-orange skin. As the title indicates, many questions are standard issue for the format, but a focus on unusual animals and intriguing traits— the aye-aye’s long middle finger, the wombat’s “cube-shaped poop”—coupled with the stunning graphics, make this a fitting addition to the collaborators’ oeuvre. Each page includes a proportional human-to-animal diagram; back matter builds on the text. Ages 4–8. (Nov.) ■

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

Born in Spain, Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934) was the son of a doctor who wanted him to be one, too. But the boy, an artist at heart, was regularly locked into rooms for drawing in his schoolbooks. When he and his father slipped into a graveyard at night to study bones, he discovered one place where art intersects with medicine: “He saw the human body as a work of art.” Obtaining a microscope, he began to draw nerve fibers in the brain, his drafting ability allowing him to follow intricate networks of what looked like “trunks, branches, and leaves.” But they never grow together, he realized; instead, they transmit messages across the gaps between them. For his work demystifying the nervous system, he won the Nobel Prize. Iverson writes with delicacy, evoking childhood moments that were formative for Santiago: “The room was lit by a wisp of light... just enough light for drawing.” Illustrations in an antiqued palette of coppers and grays by Lozano (Mayhem at the Museum) have a stylized cartoon quality, portraying the young protagonist as doll-like with an upturned nose. Several of Cajal’s original drawings are included; back matter concludes. Ages 5–9. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

Curious activity is taking place in a long-abandoned house that once belonged to a trio of magicians: a backpack-toting elephant emerges from a teapot, a blackbird bursts from a picture frame, and a girl with red hair appears from behind a screen. Succinct omniscient narration identifies the three as the aforementioned magicians, who each separately descend upon the nearby village. There, they wreak havoc that includes tricking children into giving up their food and turning an elderly man’s homely garden into an impenetrable jungle. But the huntress Aisha and her fearsome lion-dragon companion Clinker, which resembles a Chinese guardian lion, are on the tricksters’ tails. In a fast-paced, action-packed chase that traverses time and space, the huntress and the magicians take turns gaining the upper hand, until an even more treacherous party enters the fold. Via expressive text, artist Blexbolex (Vacation) presents a dreamlike fantasy graphic novel adventure that celebrates creativity, imagination, and magic. The silkscreen-style illustrations are awash in a vivid palette of mostly primary colors, giving this visually stunning work a vintage vibe. Most human characters are depicted with pale skin. Ages 9–up. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

Small acts of intention and kindness propel this feel-good graphic novel about truth, friendship, and grassroots power by Nijkamp (At the End of Everything), which takes place in fictional city Siannerra. Tween apprentice Cinzia’s mentor, Mestra Arrone, taught Cinzia that “trust is the foundation of our city,” a belief that fuels the duo’s desire to spread truth via their avvisi, or news pamphlets. So when Cinzia and Mestra are arrested for printing an unflattering truth about the corrupt Lord Magistrate—whose reign has created widespread upheaval and distrust within Siannerra—Cinzia seeks their release; she manages to escape detainment but must leave Mestra behind. Cinzia soon finds allies in young Contessina Elena, pirate Carlotta, and hijabi Aneeqah; together they endeavor to free Mestra while also investigating the Magistrate’s corruption to restore trust throughout Siannerra. Debut artist Bi employs angled panels to emphasize action and detail, and renders a bustling medieval city via double-page, draftsman-like maps of the environment and cross-sections of buildings. Savvy readers will notice commentary on the contemporary political landscape in this high-stakes story of communal action. Characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Natascha Morris, Tobias Literary. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

In this riotous, queer Arthurian rom-com remix by Croucher (Infamous, for adults), no-nonsense teenage princess Gwendoline of Camelot and louche, sardonic Arthur—a descendant of Mordred—have been betrothed since birth. They claim to despise each other but have both accepted the inevitability of their marriage, meant to secure an alliance between their families. When Art comes to Camelot for the summer, the two quickly discover a complication: they’re both gay. Agreeing that a conspiratorial marriage of convenience might be the best way forward while they secretly pursue their preferred partners, the pair resolve to remain inconspicuous. But their burgeoning affections—Gwen for dashing knight Lady Bridget Leclair and Art for Gwen’s handsome and serious older brother Gabriel—throw a wrench in their plans. Then Camelot’s political climate begins shifting, threatening to unearth their secrets, and Gwen and Art must figure out whom they can trust if they’re going to make it out unscathed. Croucher’s simultaneously sharp and subtle prose boasts delicious banter and a propulsive story populated by intersectionally diverse characters whose interactions feel fresh and vital through the novel’s climactic conclusion. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink

Eighteen-year-old Red Morgan, who is Black and lives in Orange City, Iowa, starts each day hoping that the universe will “show me something good.” Despite her pleas, however, the recent high school graduate knows that her future consists of doing chores on her family farm and—as the oldest of five—babysitting. But Red, so named for her naturally red hair, loves to sing. One day, after a video her younger sister posts of her imitating Black pop star Zay-Zay Waters and falling in pig manure goes viral, Zay-Zay arrives with an implausible request: claiming she needs some private time, she hires Red to impersonate her for a week. Knowing her family needs the funds, Red agrees, and suddenly she’s whisked onto her first airplane and is cultivating relationships with a personal chauffeur, a publicity manager, and super-hot Native Hawaiian musician Koi Kalawai‘a, Zay-Zay’s fake boyfriend. As Red navigates this brand-new world, she must reckon with her desire to prioritize her dreams over her family’s needs. Davis (Somebody That I Used to Know), who is also an actor, believably depicts the sometimes outlandish realities of the lifestyles of the rich and famous in this Prince and the Pauper take. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/22/2023 | Details & Permalink