Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A little boy has a big decision to make when asked to be in his cousin's wedding. In a story in which all key characters are depicted as people of color with brown skin and varied hair textures, Jameson is a brown boy who loves his green pants. He wears them daily and resists others' attempts to get him to wear pants of different colors. Softly textured watercolor-and-pencil illustrations inject humor into his resistance by showing Jameson throwing pants of various hues out the window, depicting a dog with red pants on its hind legs, and showing a pair of blue pants flying atop a flag pole. But Jameson's devotion to his green pants (which make him feel that he "could do anything") creates conflict when his cousin's fiancee, Jo, whom Jameson adores, asks him to be in their wedding. He agrees but is aghast when his mother explains he must wear a tuxedo with black pants. He agonizes over the decision until the wedding day, when he sees Jo at the church, and his devotion to her overrides his attachment to green pants. It's a glorious day with a satisfying ending that shows Jameson stripping off his black tuxedo pants to reveal green ones before he tears up the dance floor. Kraegel's text displays deep respect for both children's quirks and their right to those quirks, Jameson's mother over and over reinforcing for him that the decision (be in the wedding with black pants or in the congregation with green ones) is his. This quirky kid and his loving family will instantly endear themselves to readers. (Picture book. 4-7)

ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Whether dunking, diving, and especially dancing, brown-skinned Jameson feels invincible when he wears his green pants. His parents try to coax Jameson to wear different colored ones, but Jameson finds sneaky ways to make sure his closet is only stocked with trousers in his favorite color. When his cousin's fiancée asks him to be in her wedding party, Jameson is thrilled to say yes, even when it means standing still and being on his best behavior. That is, until his mom tells him he'll have to wear a black tuxedo, pants and all. He doesn't decide whether to give up wearing his green pants until he's on the steps of the church on the day of the wedding, but he comes up with a plan that keeps everyone happy. Kraegel's watercolor-and-pencil illustrations make great work of Jameson's poignant, meaningful facial expressions, which augment the joys and frustrations in the text. That Jameson is allowed to make his own decision is particularly empowering. Any kid with a favorite object will likely be charmed by Kraegel's positive message here.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

An energetic brown-skinned boy, Jameson, only likes to wear his green pants ("he could do anything" in them). When he's asked to be in his cousin's wedding, he struggles with the prospect of wearing a black tuxedo. Individualistic Jameson's realistically childlike decision-making adds suspense to the family-centric story, and pencil and watercolor illustrations lend extra dimension with their telling details and intricate pattern work.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A little boy has a big decision to make when asked to be in his cousin's wedding. In a story in which all key characters are depicted as people of color with brown skin and varied hair textures, Jameson is a brown boy who loves his green pants. He wears them daily and resists others' attempts to get him to wear pants of different colors. Softly textured watercolor-and-pencil illustrations inject humor into his resistance by showing Jameson throwing pants of various hues out the window, depicting a dog with red pants on its hind legs, and showing a pair of blue pants flying atop a flag pole. But Jameson's devotion to his green pants (which make him feel that he "could do anything") creates conflict when his cousin's fiancee, Jo, whom Jameson adores, asks him to be in their wedding. He agrees but is aghast when his mother explains he must wear a tuxedo with black pants. He agonizes over the decision until the wedding day, when he sees Jo at the church, and his devotion to her overrides his attachment to green pants. It's a glorious day with a satisfying ending that shows Jameson stripping off his black tuxedo pants to reveal green ones before he tears up the dance floor. Kraegel's text displays deep respect for both children's quirks and their right to those quirks, Jameson's mother over and over reinforcing for him that the decision (be in the wedding with black pants or in the congregation with green ones) is his. This quirky kid and his loving family will instantly endear themselves to readers. (Picture book. 4-7)