Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

In this story full of the sounds, colors, and language of Haiti, the protagonist connects with herself, her family history, and the history of Haiti through her auntie Luce's extraordinary art. The bright cover depicts the young, brown-skinned, female protagonist with cornrowed hair, holding hands with Auntie Luce on the beach near a high hillside of multicolored houses. The dripping sun above them suggests that, with the long-handled brush that each character holds aloft, they are also painting the scene in which they appear. Vague details of conflicts between Luce and her sister, the protagonist's mother, hint at why the child flies unaccompanied to Haiti every winter to visit, leaving her parents and brother behind. On this visit, the first question she asks Luce is if she can sit for a new painting. Since Auntie Luce last painted her when she was 7, Luce enthusiastically agrees, although the child has trouble sitting still for so long. It's worth the effort, though, because Luce's paintings "always talk back"—telling the stories of important black heroes of Haiti, such as Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint Louverture, as well as relatives. Daley's richly saturated acrylic-on-illustration board paintings convey some of the complexities of time and place through the images themselves. Young readers will enjoy how Latour and Daley celebrate Haitian history and culture through this lovely, artistic story. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 1-4 On a visit to Haiti, an unnamed girl's Aunt Luce paints her portrait. Woven together with the girl's feelings and her aunt's endearments, the "talking paintings" bring to mind fragmented tales. Portraits of notable figures from the country's history provide subtle openings to sharing facts. Family members promote personal reflection of identity and belonging. Generally positive and always child-centered, the stories necessarily brush against the violence mixed in with any country's history. Aunt Luce comments, "To paint Haiti takes the darkest colors and the brightest ones, and all the colors in between." Such natural metaphors and poetic ideas will make this a good choice for sharing aloud in the classroom and creating emotional connection to a subject of study. Furthermore, the illustrator's Afro-Caribbean roots amplify the love song the Haitian American author has composed to Haiti. The deep, rugged browns flecked with abstract orange, pink, purple, and blue highlight the lifelike beauty of the characters. The broad brush strokes and intense colors keep the visuals vibrant and highlight the joyful exuberance of the island. VERDICT An excellent selection for exploring deep connections to Haiti through love, family, history, and art. Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

ALA Booklist (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

In this semifictional account of Latour's childhood relationship with the famous Haitian artist Luce Turnier, the narrator recalls a childhood journey from her home in the U.S. back to Haiti, where her family is from, to stay with Auntie Luce. During her visit, Luce teaches her about her Haitian heritage, Guinean ancestors, and people from her family who were involved in the development of her hometown. The girl compares these tales with snippets of eavesdropped adult banter about politics and exile, resulting in a childlike, fragmented understanding of why her parents left the island. The narrative is lush and lyrical, capturing the romance of nostalgia as well as the concrete thoughts of the child. Daley's acrylic illustrations burst off the page in deeply saturated, vibrant colors that echo but do not imitate Luce Turnier's own art. This is an homage to the artist and to the author's memories of Haiti, which comes alive here in all its complexity; "To paint Haiti takes the darkest colors and the brightest ones, and all the colors in between."

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

A girl explores her Haitian heritage when she visits Auntie Luce, a painter. The aunt describes Haiti's history and their shared family stories. As she paints a portrait of the child, Auntie Luce helps the girl to better understand herself as a daughter of two cultures. Daley's acrylic paintings are lush and vibrant. An appended note provides more about the author's inspiration and Haitian history. Glos.

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

In this story full of the sounds, colors, and language of Haiti, the protagonist connects with herself, her family history, and the history of Haiti through her auntie Luce's extraordinary art. The bright cover depicts the young, brown-skinned, female protagonist with cornrowed hair, holding hands with Auntie Luce on the beach near a high hillside of multicolored houses. The dripping sun above them suggests that, with the long-handled brush that each character holds aloft, they are also painting the scene in which they appear. Vague details of conflicts between Luce and her sister, the protagonist's mother, hint at why the child flies unaccompanied to Haiti every winter to visit, leaving her parents and brother behind. On this visit, the first question she asks Luce is if she can sit for a new painting. Since Auntie Luce last painted her when she was 7, Luce enthusiastically agrees, although the child has trouble sitting still for so long. It's worth the effort, though, because Luce's paintings "always talk back"—telling the stories of important black heroes of Haiti, such as Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint Louverture, as well as relatives. Daley's richly saturated acrylic-on-illustration board paintings convey some of the complexities of time and place through the images themselves. Young readers will enjoy how Latour and Daley celebrate Haitian history and culture through this lovely, artistic story. (Picture book. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In a tender story inspired by famed Haitian artist Luce Turnier, an American girl recounts her experiences visiting her Auntie Luce in Haiti each winter. Meeting the family at the airport, Luce-a painter-is shown dressed in pink with bangles on both wrists. After a drive through the vibrant Haitian streets, the family arrives at her house, surrounded by verdant green. There, the child-s aunt shares stories of Haiti-s past (-the truth is a hard thing to untangle-) and shows the girl her paintings of -Haiti-s heroes.- Daley brings intimacy to the spreads, filling them with splashy tones and arresting framed portraits. An illuminating author-s note speaks about the Haitian revolution and the importance of remembering forgotten figures. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)